


Imperceivable Beauty

by moimoi819



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Pokemon Fanfiction, Protective Siblings, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-08 02:42:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 99,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16420850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moimoi819/pseuds/moimoi819
Summary: "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder." It's just a shame when the beholder is metaphorically blind. A Pokémon journey is more than becoming stronger as a Trainer. For Alena(OC), it means becoming stronger as a person.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: moi-moi819 does not own Pokémon or any of its affiliated titles therein. All original characters are the property of moi-moi819. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. No copyright infringement was intended. Please support the official release.
> 
> Moi-Moi: Hello everyone! Let me be the first to welcome you to my Pokémon fan fiction. This story has done relatively well on fan fiction.net and Wattpad. 
> 
> A little bit of warning? I've never played Ruby, Sapphire, or Emerald. But I HAVE played ORAS. Also, I've only recently watched the Hoenn episodes in preparation for writing this story. Honestly, Hoenn isn't my favorite region (Kalos is with Sinnoh following closely behind). I followed Pokémon closely for the first five seasons, but afterwards I lost interest in it. It wasn't until Ash was in Sinnoh that I got back into Pokémon. I spotted a Pokémon Pearl game in a store and felt nostalgic. So in short, my Pokémon experiences almost completely gloss over anything Hoenn. But I tried my best to research, research, and research some more. I wanted everything to make absolute sense and flow. But, if I make any mistakes feel free to call me on them.
> 
> The story will be based on canon from both the anime and the games with a few twists as well. Keep in mind that the setting is Gen 3 Hoenn. So no Fairy types or Mega Evolution here.
> 
> Finally, I hope this story gets as many positive comments and tons of votes. The story hasn't even begun (for you guys) and it's already my baby. Ah, I've said so much. I'll stop talking now. I hope you enjoy it and please comment and vote! :DDD

Sunrise was her favorite time of day. Watching the sunrise was always so peaceful and calming. She liked to open the window above the kitchen sink to allow some of the sea breeze to flow in. The cool air always held hints of fish and seawater. She always loved to feel the cool breeze while the greeting sun rose to warm the city and everyone in it. It's times like these that made her happy to be a morning person. She couldn't imagine missing this.

With a small sigh, Alena finished rinsing off a pot before placing it out to dry with the other dishes she had washed after making breakfast. She turned from the sunrise and the kitchen sink to grab the broom from where it rested in the cabinet next to the refrigerator. Her arms moved the broom over the tiled kitchen floors in repetitive motions that she had long since gotten used to. For two years, she had gotten up before sunrise to prepare breakfast for her father and younger sister before washing the dishes and sweeping up any messes she may have made. She brushed her black, side-swept bangs out of her face and tucked a side of her angled bob behind her ear before moving for the dustpan. Their kitchen wasn't too large. It never took too long to clean up. Grabbing the cup of tea she had made prior and left to cool, Alena made her way out onto her front porch to sit on the faded green, wooden steps of her home. She sipped her ginger tea lightly as she stared out at her city.

Lilycove City was the most beautiful when the sun was up, in her opinion. The way the sun hit the water to make it glisten and shine while colorful Pokémon swam just underneath its surface was calming. For such a large city, it had an easy going nature that seemed to repel the stress and rush normally associated with big cities. It was the simple things that made her day.

When her tea had been long since finished, Alena could hear the sounds of her family bustling about upstairs as they got ready for the day. Having got her fill of the sunrise for today, she rose up to enter her peach-colored house to greet her family for breakfast. She washed her teacup as she waited before deciding to towel dry it and put it away one time. Her father, Isaac, was the first to appear. He was a tall man with slightly tanned skin, short, black hair and bright blue eyes. Alena had taken after her father with her black hair and blue eyes. She had a thin frame and her father's height to go along with it, giving her a sort of lanky look for a twelve-year-old. He wore a light blue polo with dark blue slacks and white socks on his feet. He sat at the table and smiled brightly at his eldest daughter when she placed his breakfast before him. "G'morning, Dad," she said with a smile before retrieving the plates that held her and her sister's breakfast.

"Morning, sweetheart. This looks delicious," Isaac grinned widely before digging into his eggs.

Alena's younger sister, Anya, appeared then while wearing a loose fitting, red summer dress with her red hair held up in a high ponytail by her red ribbon. "Morning, Anya," Alena greeted while placing her sister's plate before her. Alena took her seat at the table across from her sister before finally digging into her meal. Despite waking before them, Alena always waited to eat breakfast with her family. It was another one of the things she enjoyed about her life.

"Morning," Anya replied while pulling out one of her magazines from seemingly nowhere. Alena frowned slightly before rolling her eyes at her sister. Anya was only eight, but she was more involved in anything fashion-related than most of the adults she knew.

"What are your plans for today girls?" Isaac asked his daughters to make conversation. After spotting the fashion magazine in his youngest daughter's hand, however, he quickly turned to his eldest. He doubted that he would get an answer out of the distracted Anya.

"I have to go into town to buy some groceries. We're almost out of milk," Alena explained.

"I'm going too. Not for groceries though. I want to visit that fabric store in town. I want to buy some fabric to start making my own designs," Anya answered. Alena raised a brow at her little sister while exchanging dubious looks with her father. "The store just got new stuff for kids to help them learn how to sew and make their own cases and little decorations."

"Whatever you say, Anya. I'll leave you some money. Just don't buy out the whole store," Isaac chuckled to himself. Alena smiled softly at her father's lameness, but Anya shook her head in childlike exasperation.

"Well, wish me luck girls," Isaac smiled as he pushed away from the table. Alena blinked owlishly in confusion before spotting her father's empty plate. "I've got to get out of here. I have a very important interview today with the representative from the Devon Corporation. If all goes well, this may change our lives and open up new doors for us. Wish me luck girls!" Isaac called out as he slipped on his black loafers at the door before grabbing his faded green messenger bag and heading out the front door.

"He's in a rush," Alena mused as she stared at the door. "Excited too."

"Well duh. It's the Devon Corporation. They're just the biggest manufacturing company in all of Hoenn. If the guy likes Dad's designs, it means that Dad will be getting a big fat check from Mr. Stone himself," Anya said before suddenly becoming extremely interested in a particular design in her magazine.

Alena didn't say anything after that. She was extremely proud of her father. He was a brilliant scientist who was known around Lilycove for his proficiency in robotics. Until now, everyone had looked to their father for small repair jobs. He made a modest living to support his family, waiting patiently until his time. It wasn't until recently that he'd had his first breakthrough. He had developed a device that would theoretically reveal hidden Pokémon. It would be a great help for traveling Trainers (or anyone really) hoping to catch Pokémon. Due to a lack of family funds, he hadn't been able to develop a prototype but he was still proud of it nonetheless. He'd been so excited that he'd reached out to the Devon Corporation with his invention. After several over the phone conversations, a Devon representative had flown out to Lilycove in order to meet with Isaac. Yes, Alena was very proud of her father.

Alena quickly finished her meal before gathering up the empty dishes and clearing the table. She went about washing up again while Anya poured over her magazine. Alena hadn't always been responsible for her family's well-fare. Just two years ago, it was her mother, Sabine, who would get up early to make breakfast, clean, shop, and tend to the family. Sabine had been a loving, kind, and beautiful woman who'd been devoted to her husband and children. It had been an unfortunate turn of events that had led to her developing the terminal illness that ended her young life. After her mother had suddenly passed, Alena had promised herself that she would do anything to help her family get through it.

"Whenever you're ready to go, Anya, we can head out," Alena said as she finished putting away the last now clean plate.

"You're going out in that? Why do I even bother asking? Of course you are," Anya sighed as she eyed her sister's outfit like it offended her. Knowing Anya, it probably did. Alena looked down at herself. What was wrong with her tee shirt and jeans? "I'm ready to go. Maybe we can get you some new clothes too. Now you see why I have to learn how to make my own clothes as soon as possible. You need me to make you some new clothes," Anya said as she stared up at her sister. Alena rolled her eyes with a smile before lightly pushing her sister out the door.

"Sure, Anya. As soon as you can make them for me, I'll wear them," Alena said and locked the front door behind them.

~:~

Alena was stirring the stew on the stove when she heard her father come in later that day. She greeted him over her shoulder but was hardly prepared for him to pick her up and spin her around in his arms happily. "Alena! You'll never believe it!" he laughed happily. Alena stared wide-eyed at her father. He was sweating and panting lightly like he had been exercising. "I was so excited that I literally ran home to tell you both!" Isaac laughed. Anya raised a brow at her father from the living room couch, quietly muting the television.

"Did the Devon representative like your designs?" Alena grinned.

"Like? He loved them! He wants to buy the rights to the invention and mass-produced it under the Devon name," Isaac informed them.

"That's great, Dad!" Anya cheered. Isaac quickly lifted her off the couch before pulling her into a tight hug.

Alena frowned. "So, it won't be your invention anymore?" Alena asked him slowly.

Isaac felt his smile slip slightly when he turned back to Alena, but it returned quickly. "No, but they gave me something better in return. I showed them some of my other designs and they think I have great potential. The Devon Corporation offered me a job as a Junior Inventor in their labs in Rustboro City. Isn't that great!?" Isaac exclaimed. Isaac stared at his daughters' faces. They looked shocked, anxious, and... upset?

"You're moving to Rustboro City?" Anya asked her father slowly.

"No. We're moving to Rustboro City," he corrected. "I took the job. Girls, Devon is offering me more than I ever made here. Anya, you can have all the fabrics, clothes, and designs you can imagine. Alena, you don't have to cook and clean for us anymore. We can hire someone to do that now! Aren't you girls excited!?"

Alena and Anya shared a look. "That's great, Dad," Alena said in a small voice. She tried to force a smile, but it felt like more of a grimace to her.

"No, it's not. It stinks," Anya said bluntly. Alena shot Anya a wide-eyed look before glaring harshly. Isaac's smile fell permanently as he stared at his girls.

"She doesn't mean that, Dad. We know how important this is for you," Alena pacified.

"Yes, I do," Anya said before pulling away from her father. She placed her small fists on her hips with a deep frown. Isaac marveled at how much she looked like his late wife when she did that. "I don't want to move to Rustboro City. Even the name of the place sounds gross. I like it here."

"But this job is important to Dad. He's wanted this for a long time, Anya. Besides, he already said yes," Alena said to her little sister.

Not backing down, Anya glared up at her older sister. "Well go tell the Devon guy "no". I don't want to leave!"

"He may never get this chance again. Stop being a spoiled baby!"

"Girls-" Isaac tried to intervene with his hands raised in a placating gesture.

"No! You don't want to move either. Stop acting like you're happy about this!" Anya said and pointed up at her sister.

"I'm happy for Dad! Why can't you be?" Alena argued back.

"This is so stupid!" Anya yelled in her childlike voice before quickly rushing up the stairs. Isaac and Alena both flinched slightly when they heard her bedroom door slam shut. Alena sighed softly before turning off the stove under her pot. She could still hear Anya's loud voice ringing around in her head. She could swear that she'd seen tears gathering in her sister's eyes just before she'd run away.

"I should have waited to talk to you girls first. I shouldn't have made such a hasty decision like that," Isaac said with a deep frown while rubbing his eyes with his fingers.

"It's okay, Dad. Really. She'll get over it," Alena tried.

"You don't want to move either," Isaac said before plopping down at the kitchen table. It hadn't been a question so Alena hadn't replied. Instead, Alena moved to sit next to him. "I just thought that this new job would make everything better. You girls would get to live in a nicer house and I could give you more than this. Alena, you wouldn't have to work so hard. You're twelve. You shouldn't be doing so much. I could hire someone to help out around the house. Then maybe you'd be free to do things someone your age should be doing. Who knows? You could even go on a journey of your own."

Alena couldn't say anything to that. She hadn't thought about going on a journey in years. When she was ten, it was all she could think about. But after her mother had passed, she couldn't entertain the thought. Her family needed her more. She needed them. She couldn't just leave home. "I like being with you and Anya, Dad," Alena said in a soft voice.

"I remember how much you wanted to be a Top Coordinator, Alena. You've put it off for two years to stay here with me and your sister. But, things are changing. I hope you won't be too mad with me for wanting you to go on a journey of your own. You need to learn to live for yourself and not just to take care of me and your sister," Isaac said.

"But Anya-"

"Anya and I will be fine. You can always call home," Isaac said in a final tone. If there was one thing he regretted, it was allowing his daughter to give up on her dream just to play homemaker. Now that he was offered a solution, he had to take it. "I'll make some calls to have you pick up your first Pokémon from Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center in a few days. We don't have to move for a few weeks so we'll still be here when you leave."

Alena wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to go on a journey, but... could she? Would she really have what it takes? Was it worth the effort? Could she really go out on her own? "Dinner's ready. I'm not hungry. I'll just head to bed," Alena said. After receiving a nod from Isaac, she left the kitchen table before climbing the stairs slowly. Alena stopped by Anya's shut door to listen in. After hearing nothing from the girl's room, Alena shuffled down the hall to her own. She was surprised to see Anya sitting at the foot of her bed while nervously wringing her hands. "Anya? Are you okay?"

"No," Anya replied miserably. "Are we really leaving?" she asked and looked up at her sister with hope in her green eyes.

"Dad thinks that it's for the best," she answered before sitting next to Anya on her bed. At once Anya wilted and folded in on herself. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. "He said that you won't be moving for a few weeks though."

"What about you?" Anya asked suddenly. "We're not leaving you behind. Right?"

Alena smiled softly at her sister. "No. Dad wants me to go on a Pokémon journey of my own. He's letting me get my first Pokémon. Isn't that cool?"

"So you're leaving us too," Anya said in an accusatory tone and frowned. Alena was floored. "Everything's changing. I don't want to move and I don't want you to leave either. Stupid Devon Corporation..."

Alena frowned. "I don't want to leave you guys either, but Dad thinks that I should go. He wants me to. He thinks that I need to go out on my own instead of staying at home to take care of you guys."

"Do you want to?" Anya asked in a small voice.

"I... A part of me wanted to a long time ago. But I don't want to leave you guys. Besides, I doubt that I'll be a good Coordinator anyways," Alena said.

"Why? Who said that?" Anya asked suddenly, her sadness gone. Who had said something so mean about her big sister?

"No one. It's just..."

"I think you'll be a great Coordinator. You'd be way better than any of those lame Coordinators out there," Anya said in a haughty tone. To hear such an arrogant proclamation from someone so young... Alena looked down at her sister with a brow raised before giggling lightly. Anya looked up at her sister in question before giggling as well. Alena pulled her sister in for a one-armed hug.

"Thanks, Anya. Okay. If you believe in me, I'll do it. I'll go on a journey," Alena smiled.

Anya pulled away from her sister as if she'd burned her. Alena frowned confusedly. "I don't want you to leave me. I have to go to gross Rustboro City alone!"

"Dad will be with you-"

"But, I'll miss you," Anya frowned. Just like that, a little light bulb went off in her head. "Let me go with you!"

"What!?" Alena balked.

Anya was grinning widely now. She grabbed her sister's hands frantically as a fantasy played out in her mind. "It'll be great! We can stay together and travel all over together. We don't have to go to Rustboro. I can even get to see new designs and styles from all over the Hoenn region. Contests have some really pretty Pokémon and-" Anya rushed.

"Anya, stop. You can't just... I mean it sounds nice... What would Dad say? And besides-" Alena tried to complete a sentence, but she could barely complete a thought. Anya's eyes widened before she suddenly rushed from the room while shouting out for their father. "Anya, wait!" Alena shouted and followed after her. Alena found Anya at their father's side giving him a rushed explanation for why she absolutely had to go with Alena and that she would behave and do her best and-

"You both want to go on a journey together?" Isaac asked his eldest daughter, not acknowledging Anya's frantic nods. Just moments ago, Alena hadn't wanted to go anywhere. He could see it all over her face. But if letting Anya follow her meant getting Alena out of the house... "That sounds like a good idea," Isaac smiled.

Alena felt her jaw drop just as Anya cheered. "Thank you, Dad! This is the best thing ever! I have to pack!" Anya squealed and quickly rushed back up to her room with a 1000 megawatt grin on her small, round face.

"Are you okay with this, Alena?" Isaac asked. He didn't want to force her into doing something she didn't want. Alena was a quiet girl who would rather suffer in silence if it meant that her family was happy. Isaac was done with allowing his daughter to sacrifice her happiness for their own.

"I... I am, Dad," Alena smiled easily. Having Anya around might make things easier. The thought of heading out on her own had scared her deeply, but maybe having Anya around would make the change much more bearable. Alena would need Anya. "But, what about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I'll get some help from somewhere else. With you kids gone, I might be able to sleep in and eat all the junk food you won't let me eat," Isaac remarked with a cheeky grin. Alena rolled her eyes with a small smile. "Go, Alena. I'll still be here when you get back. Well... not here here. But, you know what I mean."

"Yeah, Dad. Okay. We'll go. I'll do my best," Alena smiled.

From her place pressed against the wall of the stairwell, Anya grinned happily. She had been slightly worried that Alena wouldn't want to take her with her. But she had just told Dad that she would. Anya quietly ascended the stairs up to her room before shutting the door quietly behind her. She looked around her pink room before quickly dashing into her closet. She needed to get a bag so she could pack. But what would she pack? Anya eyed all her shoes before looking up at her many dresses, blouses, and skirts. Her eyes glanced down at the pink, Cleffa-shaped backpack in her hands. "I'm gonna need a bigger bag..." she mused.

~:~

Today was the day she would be heading to the Pokémon Center to pick her first Pokémon from Nurse Joy (Anya insisted on coming along to help her decide). Alena had spent the past few days frequenting the Lilycove Department Store with her family, purchasing the necessities for her journey. Closing up her black, high-capacity bag pack, she rested it down on the floor next to her desk. It was perfectly packed and ready to go for tomorrow. Alena made a mental note to check Anya's bag to make sure she had only packed the essentials.

"Alena, are you ready to go yet? Your Pokémon is waiting!" Anya reminded her sister in a loud voice from downstairs.

"I'm coming!" Alena replied loudly before dashing out of her room and down the stairs. As the day was drawing nearer, she found herself feeling more and more excited about her upcoming journey. Anya had been just as excited as she, their excitement bouncing off of each other. "Ready," Alena smiled at her sister and father who were waiting for her.

"Then let's go," Anya said and grabbed her sister's hand before pulling her away. Isaac locked the front door after them while following the girls at a much slower pace. The girls ran ahead of him meanwhile excitedly chattering about which Pokémon Alena would choose. Isaac was happy to see his children so happy. He pushed away his sadness at the thought of them leaving meanwhile convincing himself that this was good for his family. When he had finally caught up to them at the Center, Alena was staring down at the three Pokémon before her with great consideration. Anya was crouched before them with a frown.

"Don't you have any cuter Pokémon?" Anya asked shamelessly. Isaac sighed and shot Nurse Joy an apologetic look, but the Nurse only smiled brightly in return. Isaac could see that the Mudkip had been disheartened by her words, Torchic had snubbed her angrily, while the Treecko hadn't bothered to acknowledge her. The green Pokémon was turned off to the side with its slim arms folded before it.

"I think they all look very cute," Nurse Joy replied.

Alena looked down at the different Pokémon with a frown. She didn't want to pick a Pokémon that wouldn't get along with Anya. Mudkip looked ready to break down in tears, Torchic looked about ready to peck Anya in a blazing fury, but Treecko hadn't reacted at all. "I know which one I want. I choose Treecko," Alena smiled down at the reptilian Pokémon. Treecko offered her a sideways glance before looking away in disinterest almost as if he didn't care if he had gotten picked or not.

"What!? Why? It's the least cute out of all of them! At least the Torchic is kinda cute," Anya huffed and folded her arms.

"It's not about cuteness," Alena reminded Anya before crouching down before her new Pokémon. Treecko offered her another sideways glance before deciding to look her in the eye.

"But you want to be a Top Coordinator! How can you do that without cute Pokémon?" Anya rebutted. Alena brushed her off before smiling softly at Treecko. Treecko stared at her for several more seconds before nodding once and looking away again.

"Seems a bit... cold," Isaac remarked. "But if you're sure..."

"I'm positive," Alena smiled.

~:~

The next morning, Isaac was sleeping soundly in his bed, wrapped under his sheets and comforter. He was having a pleasant dream about nothing in particular. His creatively random dream was cut short by a frantic cry of "Dad! Wake up!". Snapping up at once, Isaac looked around him in panic for whatever it was. The voice had belonged to Alena. What was wrong with her?

"Come on, Dad. We're ready to go," Alena grinned at him before dashing out of his room. He could hear her descending the stairs loudly and groaned. The sun was barely up. Just as he flopped backward onto his pillow, he heard Alena's voice call out "Dad!" from downstairs.

"Alright! I'm coming," Isaac finished in a grumble. He couldn't understand how his daughter was always up before the sun. Couldn't she have waited just a few more hours? A jaw-splitting yawn escaped Isaac as he touched down at the bottom of the stairs. Alena was bouncing around happily with her large backpack on her back while Anya struggled to stay awake next to her. Alena was wearing a black flannel shirt with a white tank underneath, dark skinny jeans, and black and white Converse. Isaac rearranged Anya's new Cleffable backpack to stop it from slipping off her shoulders completely. Anya was wearing a bright pink, sleeveless dress with a thin white belt around the middle and matching, white flats. A bright pink ribbon kept her long red hair in check. "You girls have everything you need?"

"Yep!"

"We'd still have everything in three hours. Why did we have to get up so early?"

"Early bird gets the Wurmple, Anya. Right, Dad?" Alena smiled brightly.

"Sure thing, sweetheart. You two be safe. Alright? Call your Dad and make sure to win all those Contests," Isaac smiled fondly and pulled Alena into a hug. He offered an arm for the sleepy Anya and she quickly found her place in the embrace. "Take care of your sister."

"I will."

"I will."

Isaac laughed loudly at his girls before pulling away from them. "See you later, Dad. I already made you breakfast. It's in the microwave. And there are some leftovers in the fridge. Love you, Dad!" Alena reminded and dashed towards the door.

"Bye, Dad! Love you!" Anya called out and shut the door behind them. With the sound of the front door slamming behind them, Isaac felt a sudden weight on his heart. The house felt empty, quiet, and colder. Isaac sighed lowly before moving to flop down on the old couch. He had to remind himself that this was for the best. "Boy do I miss you, Sabine..."

**Accompanied by her little sister and new Pokémon, Treecko, Alena sets off on her first Pokémon journey with the goal of Top Coordinator in sight. What new experiences and obstacles will she face?**

**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: Hello again Pokéfans everywhere! :D Welcome back. It means a lot that you enjoyed the first chapter so much that you clicked the "Next" button. So, thank you for the support. I really feel like this story is turning into one of the better ones that I'll write. It's got a decent plot (if I do say so myself), nice characters, and (hopefully) descriptive enough language that I can at least sketch out a mental image for you guys. (Seriously working on my descriptive language skills here. ^.^')
> 
> I thought about it and I actually miss the little Pokémon Trivia I had at the beginning of Poké Adventures. I was learning new things all the time that I'd never known about Pokémon before. So, why not continue?
> 
> What Pokémon used ten different moves in one episode?
> 
> Unbelievable right? Everyone else is limited to four moves, but this Pokémon got ten just to make it seem unstoppable.

**Today, we find Alena trekking through the forest with her little sister, Anya, on their way to Fortree City. Given her first Pokémon by Nurse Joy, she just became one step closer to becoming a Top Coordinator.**

"Okay. So I was up late last night mapping out our journey. I have everything all planned out. We're gonna head to Fortree City first and then down to Mauville City so I can compete in the Mauville Contest. Then, there's the Slateport Contest..." Alena trailed off while holding out a town map before her. Anya let her eyes gaze at the forest around them instead. She saw two Oddish scurry across the path ahead of them just before a Linoone peaked out from some grass to watch them curiously before ducking away.

"Alena, look at all these Pokémon. I didn't know they'd be everywhere," Anya commented.

"Yeah. This is their home. Forests have a lot more Pokémon than back home. We'll see lots of Pokémon here," Alena informed her sister. "In fact, I'm gonna catch one."

Anya raised a brow in curiosity at her sister before shrugging. "Maybe you'll catch a cute one so you can get rid of your Treecko," Anya mused.

"Anya," Alena frowned. "I'm not getting rid of Treecko. Just because you don't think he's cute doesn't mean that he isn't."

"Yeah, sure," Anya brushed her off while clasping her hands behind her head.

Alena frowned before taking out Treecko's Pokéball. She released him before turning to Anya expectantly. "Anya, Treecko is apart of our team now. We have to all get along. Okay? Why don't you two try to get along?" Alena smiled hopefully.

Anya grimaced down at the green reptile, but Treecko didn't respond. Instead, the Grass type leaped into a nearby tree before lounging in the shade of the branches against the tree trunk. "How rude," Anya commented before stalking ahead.

"Well, you insulted him first. I'm sure if you just apologize, he'll come around. Right, Treecko?" Alena smiled up at her Pokémon encouragingly. A plump sweat drop formed at her temple when Treecko yawned softly before shutting his eyes for a snooze.

"Rude," Anya singsonged.

Alena released a breath that blew her bangs out of her eye. Anya wasn't going to make this easier for her and Treecko was stubbornly indifferent. "Treecko, what do you say we catch a Pokémon?" Alena asked her Pokémon with a hopeful smile. Treecko peered down at her with one eye but didn't move. Alena procured her Pokédex from her back pocket before scanning Treecko with it. "The Pokédex says that you know the moves Pound and Leer. Okay, Treecko. Let's go find our first opponent," Alena said before jogging ahead.

Treecko watched her go before slowly rising and following after his Trainer by leaping on tree branches. He was reserving judgment about the girl. She seemed nice enough, but whether or not she would be a good enough Trainer was left to be seen. Treecko knew that she was a "Coordinator", but he wasn't sure what that meant for him. "Look. A Poochyena," Treecko heard Alena say to her sister.

"It's kind of cute," Anya remarked while observing the new Pokémon.

"It's gonna be mine. Treecko, use Pound!" Alena commanded.

Leaping from his perch on a branch, Treecko poised himself above his opponent with his thick tail ready to strike. Poochyena had been startled by Treecko's attack and narrowly missed being hit by the Grass Pokémon's thick tail. Not wasting a moment, Treecko spun on its toes to deliver a roundhouse hit with its tail. The hit knocked Poochyena a few feet away and its struggled to get up again. "Good work, Treecko. Now I can-" Alena started and reached for an empty Pokéball. She stopped, however, when she saw Poochyena quickly flee while whimpering loudly. "No! Come back, Poochyena!"

"Tree," Treecko sighed before folding its arms and turning away.

"I don't blame, Poochyena. I'd run away too if some people came out of nowhere to fight me and beat me up," Anya mused.

Alena sighed loudly as her shoulders slumped. "Let's just go. We'll get the next one," Alena said before moving on. Anya followed after her while Treecko took to the trees again.

The next one didn't appear for several hours. It was as if word had spread that humans were passing through and every wild Pokémon holed themselves away in their homes to avoid them. Alena was helping Anya down from a ledge when Treecko suddenly made an appearance from whatever tree he had been inhabiting. He was staring up at some ledges above them with a serious look on his face. Once Alena had Anya standing next to her, she turned to see what had caught Treecko's attention. "It's a Pokémon," Alena said before pulling out her Pokédex.

Absol, the Disaster Pokémon. Absol live in steep mountainous regions, and rarely venture down into areas inhabited by humans, but should an Absol be seen by humans, it is said that catastrophe is soon to follow.

"I think it looks pretty. Why would they give it a mean name like disaster Pokémon?" Anya pouted.

"What's it doing here? There aren't really many mountains around," Alena mused with a puzzled expression.

"Maybe it's lost. Are you lost pretty Absol?" Anya giggled up at the silent Pokémon.

Alena frowned up at the Pokémon. It was staring down at her with its red, piercing gaze as if it were analyzing her. Alena blinked before shying away slightly. Suddenly, she noticed Treecko glaring up at the Pokémon.

"Alena you have to catch it! You would win in contests for sure with a Pokémon like that!" Anya urged her while shaking Alena's left arm.

"Uh... Okay. Let's go, Treecko," Alena said with a slight waver in her voice. Treecko leaped into battle, ready to attack at any moment. "Use Leer, Treecko!"

The green reptile shot Absol a haunting look, its normally yellow eyes taking on a red glow. Those red eyes moved hauntingly towards Absol, but the Dark type was quick to dodge the attack by leaping down from its ledge. Now facing them on level ground, Absol stared Treecko down before quickly rushing at him.

"It's so fast!" Anya exclaimed.

"It's using Quick Attack. Treecko use Pound!" Alena commanded.

Treecko took a direct hit to the side from that Quick Attack with a slight groan. "Tree...cko!" Treecko exclaimed before rushing at Absol and swinging his tail at his opponent. Absol took the hit to the side of its face before shaking itself out.

"Don't let up, Treecko. Use Leer again!" Alena shouted.

Now at a closer range, Treecko fired its red glare at Absol again. "Ab," was all Absol could get out before its eyes widened in panic and a red glow outlined its body.

"Pound again!"

While Absol was momentarily stunned, Treecko launched another attack that tossed Absol away like it was nothing. Anya cheered happily from off to the side while Treecko took deep breaths.

"Here we go. Go Pokéball!" Alena exclaimed and tossed her Pokéball. The ball sailed over Treecko's head before colliding with Absol's injured form. At once, a red beam summoned Absol into the Pokéball before the ball fell to the ground. The ball wavered for several moments before it flashed and Absol reappeared.

"What happened!? You had it!" Anya exclaimed.

"Not yet. Treecko, keep using Pound attack!" Alena commanded in a strong voice.

Treecko shot his Trainer a look over his shoulder before rushing at Absol again. Just now, he wasn't sure what it was, but there was something different about his Trainer. Absol tried to dodge the attack, but the gecko was on Absol's tail once again.

"Try a Leer!"

Once his tail had missed its mark, Treecko quickly closed in to fire an uncomfortably close-range Leer attack. "Treecko..." Treecko smirked.

"Now use Pound again!"

While Absol suffered the effects of his Leer, Treecko took advantage of its lowered defenses and struck Absol with his tail again. "Absol!" Absol cried out in anguish before rolling away. Not wasting a second, Alena tossed her Pokéball again. Treecko tried to steady his breathing just in case Absol was ready to go again. He watched the ball twitch slightly before it clicked and suddenly stilled. Treecko finally relaxed.

"It worked this time!" Alena exclaimed happily before collecting her Pokéball. Anya was cheering for her sister happily, but Treecko stood off to the side while remaining aloof. He only turned when he sensed his Trainer approach him. "Thank you so much, Treecko. Now we have a new member of our team."

"Can I see your new Pokémon?" Anya questioned with an eager tone. With a nod, Alena let Absol out of its ball. "Wow."

"Hello, Absol. My name's Alena and this is Treecko," Alena smiled.

"I'm Anya! You're even prettier up close," Anya grinned happily at Absol. The Dark type watched the redhead for several seconds before lightly butting her head against Anya's. Anya giggled before petting the Pokémon and letting her fingers run through Absol's fur.

Alena watched Anya play with Absol before looking down at Treecko expectantly. The reptile offered her a side-glance, but didn't say anything. Not put off by his indifference, Alena pecked her Pokémon on the head in thanks. Treecko froze for several seconds before quickly leaping into a nearby tree. Alena smiled patiently at him before turning back to Anya and Absol. "Absol! That feels funny!" Anya giggled while Absol licked her cheek with her tiny, pink tongue.

~:~

"How much longer do we have to walk?" Anya asked, not even bothering to mask her whiny tone. Her arms swung at her sides as she slouched and dragged her feet behind Alena.

"We haven't made it to Fortree City yet. We'll keep walking until we make it or until sunset, whichever comes first. Be happy all these trees are giving us shade to walk in," Alena answered her sister in a patient voice.

"I didn't think a journey would be this much work," Anya mumbled.

"I can always take you back home if you want," Alena offered.

Anya quickly snapped up before rushing to walk at her sister's side. With a wide grin, Anya fell into step next to Alena and said, "That's okay, Alena. I'll be fine."

Alena smirked to herself before looking ahead. She hadn't really intended to walk Anya all the way back home (unless she'd really wanted to go home of course). Besides, she was sure that they had to be almost halfway through Route 121 by now. At this pace, they should make it to Fortree City in about two more days. Alena knew that she couldn't tell that to Anya, however. It would only discourage her little sister even more than she already was.

"What's Fortree City look like anyways? So I know what to look for when we get close," Anya asked.

"It's actually really cool. This guidebook that I bought said that the people of Fortree City are really into their traditions. They all have a deep respect for the sky and so they live high up in tree houses. Also, Flying type Pokémon and Bug Pokémon often fly around in and out of the houses and buildings," Alena smiled down at Anya.

Anya made a disgusted face before making a gagging noise. "They live with bugs? That's gross. I hope we don't stay too long. I don't want any bugs flying around and crawling on me," Anya declared.

Alena rolled her eyes. "You may not like it, but the people of Fortree City don't mind. They've lived like this for generations."

"Some way to live," Anya mumbled, but Alena had heard her nonetheless.

"Just don't say things like that to the townspeople. They'll probably be offended," Alena warned her. Alena loved her little sister, but Anya had a habit of looking down on things she didn't particularly like. If it wasn't cute, fun, or cool, it tended to displease and offend the small girl. And when Anya was offended, she often offended others with her blunt words. Whether she had intentionally meant to harm was left to be seen, but it was the usual result of her actions. Alena had lost count of how many times Anya's boldly stated opinions had steamrolled over hers or their father's feelings. Despite this, Anya really was a sweet girl inside. She was always quick to notice when another's feelings were hurt and would quickly apologize.

"Alright. I won't say anything, Alena. I promise," Anya told her sister before idly plucking a flower from the ground as she passed. Alena watched her go about plucking several more flowers while twisting the stems around to make a flower crown. Alena smiled softly to herself at the sight.

~:~

She was trying not to whine. After all, whining wouldn't make anything better. But they had been walking through this forest for three days now! Shouldn't they already be in Fortree City by now? Anya had been searching the trees for any treehouses but hadn't seen a single one. Alena hadn't once complained about all the walking despite carrying that big pack on her back. Anya didn't want to complain. What if Alena got upset with her complaining and made her go back home? So, she'd sucked it up until now. But three whole days!

Three days of walking were nothing compared to the first night of sleeping in a tent. Anya had never gone camping before and she was sure that Alena hadn't either. Yet Alena had been able to sleep peacefully while Anya had tossed and turned in her Skitty-themed sleeping bag. All the Pokémon she had seen in the day sounded ten times louder at night. The forest had been too loud and she could still feel the hard ground through the bottom of her bag. It had been a miserable first night.

The second night was slightly better. If she slipped a blanket in at the bottom of her sleeping bag, she could at least lie down comfortably. She had glanced over at Alena during the night only to see her snoozing peacefully. Anya had been almost angry enough to wake her sister out of spite. Alena seemed to have a sixth sense for picking up when her family was distressed, however. After only a few minutes of stewing in her sleeping bag, Anya had heard Alena call out to her in question.

"Anya? You're still up?" Alena had asked in a sleepy voice.

"Yes. I can't sleep. The Pokémon are too loud," Anya huffed and gestured to the door of the tent.

"I had no idea it was keeping you up. Hold on," Alena said before rooting through her pack. Seconds later, she produced a pair of ear plugs and handed them over to Anya. "Here you go. Try to get some sleep now. We can sleep in a little to help you catch up on the sleep you missed. Okay?"

Alena had offered her a sleepy smile before rolling over and promptly falling back to sleep. Anya had inserted the buds into her ears then, delighting in not being able to hear anything. With a bright smile, she snuggled into her sleeping bag to prepare for bed. Anya wasn't sure what other little things Alena had packed away, but she was sure that Alena would have packed anything she would need. 'I have the best sister ever,' was Anya's last thought before she slipped into unconsciousness.

The most peaceful sleep in the world couldn't raise her spirits as they trekked through the forest the next day, however. All the trees looked the same along the path that never seemed to end. Anya was about to ask whether they were even going the right way when she spotted it. Her face lighting up in glee, Anya pointed ahead of them. "Look! It's a treehouse!" she exclaimed joyously.

"You're right. We made it," Alena grinned.

"Finally," Anya sighed. Alena let Anya jog ahead to get a closer look at the treehouses and the townspeople. They were walking from house to house along rope bridges above them, leaving only a few people walking on the ground. "Okay. These treehouses are kinda cool," Anya relented in amazement.

Alena smiled softly before releasing Treecko from his Pokéball. Smiling down at him, she said, "Treecko, this is Fortree City. I know that Treecko like tall trees and overgrown forests so I thought that you would enjoy it here."

Treecko looked up at his Trainer silently before letting his eyes roam over the city. He had to admit that he was slightly impressed by the number of trees growing in the area. The people here had done a decent enough job of taking care of the forest. Not better than Treecko could, but a decent job. "Tree," Treecko relented before picking a nearby tree to scale.

"Why'd you pick a Pokémon like that? He's no fun at all," Anya complained.

"Well, there was just something about Treecko that I liked," Alena winked. 'For one thing, he doesn't get offended when you call him boring or not cute.'

"Well hello there. I've never seen you here before. You must be travelers," a woman with lavender hair and eyes greeted with a pleasant smile. She was wearing a goggled helmet on her head with a blue and gray body suit to match.

"Hi, I'm Anya. This is my big sister, Alena. We're on a Pokémon journey together," Anya proudly exclaimed.

"Oh. That's interesting. My name is Winona. It's nice to meet you both," the woman replied. "Are you here to challenge the Fortree Gym?"

"Oh no. We're just passing through. We're headed to Mauville City so I can compete in the Contest being held there in a few days," Alena answered.

"Oh I see. You're a Coordinator. Is this your first Contest?" Winona questioned.

A slight blush rose up to her cheeks as Alena rubbed her arm nervously. "Is it that obvious?"

"No. But it's nothing to be ashamed of. We all have to start somewhere," Winona smiled encouragingly.

"Are you a Coordinator, Winona?" Anya questioned.

Winona laughed lightly before shaking her head. "Oh no. I'm no Coordinator. I'm the Fortree Gym Leader," she informed them.

Anya grinned brightly with an awed, "Wow!"

Alena nerves seemed to grow at that second while feelings of embarrassment started to take root within her. She had been talking to a Gym Leader? She must have looked like a pathetic rookie to Winona.

"If you're a Gym Leader, you have to be pretty good at raising Pokémon. Why don't you show my sister how it's done," Anya suggested before cupping a hand around her mouth and whispering, "She just got her first Pokémon less than a week ago and could use some help."

"Anya!" Alena gaped. She was sure that her face was beet red now. The embarrassment that she felt before was dwarfed by the pure humiliation she felt now.

Winona giggled lightly while shielding her mouth with her hand. "As I said, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I may not know too much about Contests, but I do know about battling. Maybe I can help you. Things are pretty slow at the Gym right now. I definitely have the time for it if you'd like," Winona said with a smile.

"She accepts!" Anya declared at once. Alena felt slightly overwhelmed at Anya's exclamation but didn't deny it. Some battle practice would be good for her. Winona seemed nice enough. She wouldn't laugh at Alena for making a complete fool of herself during the lessons. Right?

"The follow me. The Gym is this way," Winona said before turning to lead them away. Treecko suddenly appeared then and started to follow after Winona. Alena watched her Pokémon and little sister walk away from her before taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. Wringing her hands out before her, she slowly started to follow Winona to her Gym.

~:~

"It's so high up!" Anya exclaimed in awe as she looked around at the largest Pokémon field she had ever seen. The large, dirt field atop the pyramid of steps was bare aside from two elevated platforms on either side. "Are all Gyms like this?"

"I doubt it. The Fortree Gym is a Flying type Gym. Battling up here give Flying types the freedom to make full use of the skies as well as test Trainers ability to cope with strong, wind currents and intense battling from so high up," Winona explained. Alena gulped. "Are you ready, Alena?"

"I don't have any Flying type Pokémon. Is that okay?" Alena said in a small voice.

"Sure it is. A lot of Trainers visit my Gym with Electric type Pokémon and most of them can't fly. You may be at a slight disadvantage, but this is about learning. It's not really about winning," Winona pacified.

"But winning would be pretty cool," Anya inputted. Winona giggled a bit before heading to her platform. Anya turned to her sister. "Good luck, Alena."

"Thanks, Anya. I'll try my best," Alena replied before heading to the challenger's platform with Treecko.

As the platform raised her and Treecko even higher, Alena felt the chilling winds whip at her clothes and hair. Winona was already waiting for her at the top with a confident smirk. Alena felt her stomach drop. She tried to swallow, but a lump had gotten stuck in her throat. Peering over the side, she could see Anya's minuscule form gazing up at her. Was it too late to back out?

"Treecko," Treecko said before leaping up to perch on the short wall of the platform before her. Treecko stared out across the field before him before running his large, yellow eyes all over the field.

"Treecko?" Alena questioned softly.

"Tree," Treecko said over his shoulder with a stern gaze. He could easily sense the unease rolling off of his Trainer in waves.

Alena shook her head and tried to stop wringing out her hands. "I'm sorry, Treecko. I'm just nervous. I'm not sure I can do this. What if I-"

"Treecko," Treecko cut off and glared at her. He had been able to sense the fear in Alena from the very beginning. She was a nice girl, but very unsure. There was no time for that.

"Alright, Treecko. If you say so. I'll try my best. But are you sure that you'll be able to get around on a field like this? Flying types would be able to easily dodge your Pound attack," Alena worried as she looked down at the field. When she received no response from her Pokémon, Alena took a deep breath to steady herself. Treecko didn't look nervous or worried. Although she had no idea what they were going to do, she would trust in Treecko.

Winona watched as Alena and Treecko discussed strategy across the field. Alena looked absolutely terrified at the idea of a battle, but Treecko had faced the challenge head-on. That Treecko looked like the perfect starter for a girl like Alena. Hopefully, Treecko would be able to help his Trainer gain some confidence in herself. In the meantime, Winona decided on what Pokémon she would use. She couldn't use Skarmory or Swellow. Altaria was definitely out of the question as well. She wanted to teach Alena all that she could with a Pokémon closer to a beginner's level. Winona smiled. She had the perfect Pokémon. "Are you ready, Alena?" Winona called out.

"Yep. We are," Alena replied.

"Alright then. Swablu, let's go!" Winona shouted. Alena pulled out her Pokédex at the sight of a new Pokémon.

Swablu, the Cotton Bird Pokémon. Swablu loves cleanliness and is quick to wipe off any unclean surface with its cotton-like wings.

"Go, Treecko!" Alena exclaimed. At once, Treecko quickly climbed down from the platform to stand on the field below. Swablu lowered slightly to move in closer to the Grass type while still being high above it.

"You can go first, Alena," Winona offered.

"Thanks. Treecko, use Pound!" Alena spoke. Treecko leaped up quickly, ready to strike Swablu with its tail. Swablu was able to smoothly dodge the attack and make Treecko sail through the air harmlessly below it. Treecko was able to easily land with a crouch behind Swablu.

"Swablu, Aerial Ace!" Winona commanded.

"Blu!" Swablu exclaimed in its bell-like voice as it quickly rushed in towards Treecko from behind.

"Dodge it quickly, Treecko!" Alena urged from above.

"Tree," Treecko grunted while jumping up and flipping out of the way in time.

"It's coming back around, Treecko!" Alena tried to warn, but it was a bit too late. Treecko had looked over his should for only half a second before he was hit in the back by Swablu's super effective attack. "Treecko, are you alright?"

"Swablu, fly in close for a Wing Attack!" Winona commanded.

Treecko had heard the command and prepared to dodge. Before he could move, however, he heard Alena call out "Not yet, Treecko!" Not taking his eyes off of is opponent, Treecko stilled. There it was again. He hadn't seen it on her face, but he could hear it in her voice. There was a shift in her tone. It was slight, but he could easily pick up on it.

"Now! Use Leer!" Alena commanded. Swablu was definitely too fast to try to catch. They'd have to try to trap it when it got close. After launching a Leer at Swablu, the small bird slowed slightly in its attack, frightened hesitation on its face. "Follow it with Pound!" Alena went on. Smirking slightly, Treecko viciously struck Swablu with his thick tail and sent the bird slamming into the field before it rolled away.

"Swablu, use Sing," Winona commanded.

Alena gasped. "Don't listen to it, Treecko! It'll put you to sleep!" Alena warned. She didn't know a lot about Pokémon battling, but there were some things that were basic.

Treecko covered the slits at the side of his head to effectively mute out the sound of Swablu's song. Glaring up at the bird, Treecko quickly leaped up into the air. Slightly off balance, Treecko was able to deliver a Pound attack that quickly shut the bird up. "Way to go, Treecko!" he could hear his Trainer applaud.

Winona was moderately impressed. For a beginner, Alena was handling herself very well. As the battle progressed, she was summoning up a courage that Winona hadn't seen in her before. The girl calling out moves across the field was completely different from the one who had been blushing and mumbling embarrassedly before. Winona smiled. "Swablu, Aerial Ace! Let's finish this!"

"I don't think so. Treecko, dodge it and use Pound!" Alena grinned.

"Tree...cko!" Treecko exclaimed and he sidestepped Swablu's speedy attack. Just as Swablu was on its return trip, Treecko appeared out of thin air and struck the bird down again with his tail.

"Swablu is unable to battle! The winner is Treecko!" the referee declared from his place at the side of the field.

Alena gaped. She couldn't believe it. She'd won? She'd actually beaten Winona? Treecko had quickly scaled the platform and was now staring his Trainer in the eye. A wide grin broke out on Alena's face before she pulled Treecko in for a hug. Treecko had been so surprised that he didn't have any other reaction besides shocked embarrassment. "You were great Treecko! You're the best!" Alena praised him. The shock now wearing off, Treecko smiled slightly while nodding once.

Winona and Anya were waiting for them on the ground when Alena approached. "You did it! You won!" Anya cheered with a wide smile.

"Congratulations, Alena. For a beginner Trainer, you battled very well. If you keep practicing, I'm sure that you'll do excellent in your Contests," Winona complimented.

Alena bowed lowly with a smile. "Thank you, Winona. This means a lot to me. I'll definitely do my best."

"I'm sure you will. If you like, I'd be happy to answer any questions that you have and give you some advice as well," Winona offered.

"That'd be great!" Alena exclaimed excitedly before continuing in a more subdued tone, "I mean, I'd like that very much."

Winona smiled pleasantly. "Well, I noticed that you were really relying on the move Pound during our battle. I know you're new at this, but it would be a good idea to teach Treecko another move..." Winona started and led Alena away and back down the many steps of her Gym.

Anya watched her sister leave with Winona with a bright smile. Alena had actually beat a Gym Leader on her first try! Her sister was amazing! Probably the best Trainer ever! Noticing someone standing not too far away from her, Anya turned to her right. Treecko was standing and gazing out at the thick forest at the foot of the steps. Anya pouted a bit before sighing. "Treecko, you were pretty good in that battle," Anya complimented.

Treecko offered her a side glance before nodding once in thanks. Anya wasn't surprised. Treecko barely spoke. Both of Alena's Pokémon were the quiet types. With a careless shrug, Anya said, "Some Torchic or Mudkip couldn't pull off a battle like that. It takes real skill to win even when you're at a type disadvantage." Treecko smirked.

**The first steps on a Pokémon journey are usually the hardest. Now with another person cheering her on, Gym Leader Winona, Alena is steadily becoming a better Trainer and Coordinator. What will tomorrow bring for our heroes? Find out next time.**

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: That was nice of Winona to help Alena. :) Yes. Treecko has ear slits. Geckos are known to have openings on the sides of their heads for hearing. But since Treecko obviously isn't drawn with holes in his head, I imagined that Treecko have little slits that are almost invisible to the naked eye. It's also possible that Treecko can hear like snakes by picking up vibrations. But I'm pretty sure I've seen Treecko cover the sides of its head to block out noise in the anime. Can't remember what episode though... Oh well. If you know an episode where Treecko covered its "ears" let me know. Other than that, did you enjoy the chapter? Let me know in a comment!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: ^.^ I always appreciate it when you guys take time out to write a comment or PM me. IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY.
> 
> It's time for the answer to the last Pokémon trivia. It was Drake's Dragonite! Yep. In the 112th episode of Pokémon, "Enter the Dragonite", Drake's Dragonite used nine different moves during its battle with Ash (in the original Japanese version). Ash still won though. In all, Dragonite has used ten different moves. Wish I had a Pokémon like that... For your next question,
> 
> What Pokémon type has the most notable Trainers that specialize in it? (Hint: it has seven Trainers.)

**As the date of the Mauville Contest draws near, we find our heroes still in Fortree City. Under Winona's careful instruction, Alena has begun to show progress as a Trainer and battler.**

"Absol, use Scratch!" Alena commanded her Pokémon at the top of the Fortree Gym.

Absol leapt through the air quickly, it's powerful legs catapulting it through the air in seconds. Glowing claws outstretched, Absol cried out, "Ab...sol!"

"Altaria, go up to dodge and use Dragon Breath!" Winona countered.

Altaria trilled an, "Altari-!" in a melodic voice while swooping upwards gracefully. Absol landed behind the Dragon type and quickly turned to face its opponent. Rearing its head back, Altaria charged up it attack. "-tariaaa!" Altaria cooed while firing its attack. Absol moved to dodge it, but her hind leg was still caught in the attack.

Alena frowned from her platform across the field. Absol was struggling to get on her feet while glaring harshly at Altaria. Her right, hind leg held a vicious bruise and could barely support her weight. "Winona, I want to stop!" Alena declared before quickly descending from her platform.

Winona's eyes widened in surprise before she nodded in acceptance. When Altaria and Winona approached Alena, she was holding her Pokémon to her delicately while inspecting Absol's leg. Anya was staring down at the leg with wide, fearful eyes before kneeling and slowly rubbing Absol's side tenderly. "Altaria, can you use Refresh on Absol?" Winona asked.

Altaria nodded before moving to embrace Absol with its wide wings. "Tari," Altaria cooed while waves of rejuvenating energy washed over Absol and Alena. Absol had been gritting her teeth against the pain in her leg, but slowly relaxed until she was perfectly at ease.

After several more seconds, Altaria pulled away with a happy smile. "Thank you, Altaria. That felt great," Alena smiled. Tentatively, Absol stood and applied slight pressure to her leg. There was a slight twinge in the appendage, but nothing she couldn't handle.

"I'm impressed with and proud of your progress, Alena. I could hardly tell that you're a rookie Trainer," Winona praised as Altaria rejoined her side.

"Thanks, Winona. It's all thanks to you. I wouldn't be so far ahead if it weren't for you," Alena smiled.

"Don't forget to give yourself some credit, too. I can only help you as much as you let me," Winona reminded. "Your Pokémon deserve the most of your thanks," Winona said while gesturing down to Absol. "They are your partners. You work together to achieve your goals. Since you're a Coordinator, you'll have to take extra care for your Pokémon. Don't forget that."

"I won't. I promise," Alena said and bowed lowly. She recalled Absol before leaving the Gym with Anya on her tail.

Winona watched them go with a small smile. She had had Trainers look up to her in admiration or to her for guidance before. But Alena was something special. The girl was quiet and a bit of a pushover- a soft soul. But when she battled, there was a totally different Alena on the field. It was as if an alter ego- a polar opposite to the Alena she had met- had come out to battle. This alter ego was decisive, strong, and determined while still being calm and gentile enough to know when to stop. The second Absol had gotten hurt, Alena's caring nature had resurged at once and called the match to a halt before rushing to her Pokémon's side. Winona smiled brightly. She had the utmost faith in Alena. If only the girl had more faith in herself...

~:~

Alena handed over her Pokéballs containing her Pokémon to Nurse Joy with a thankful smile. Nurse Joy accepted the Pokéballs with a bright smile before placing them on a tray and handing them over to the Chansey that assisted her. "Don't worry, Alena. I'll have your Pokémon all ready to go in a little while," Nurse Joy informed while Chansey walked away while happily singing "Chansey...Chansey...Chansey".

"Thanks again, Nurse Joy," Alena responded before letting the woman leave. Anya was waiting behind her quietly so she turned to face her sister. "I'm going to go call, Dad. Do you want to come?"

"I wanted to ask you how much longer are we going to stay here? We've been here for three days now. Winona is nice and all and the treehouses are cool, but aren't we supposed to be heading to Mauville City? What about your Contest?" Anya stressed.

"Don't worry, Anya. I still have time before the Contest starts. Judging by how long it took us to get to Fortree City, it shouldn't take us longer than three days to get to Mauville City. That still leaves me with a few days until the Contest actually starts," Alena smiled. "Thanks for worrying about me though. We'll leave tomorrow bright and early. How's that?"

"That should be fine," Anya nodded before walking over to where a row of computers lined the wooden walls of the Pokémon Center. Anya waited patiently for Alena to dial their home number. After several rings, a drowsy "Hello?" was heard.

"Dad? Did we wake you?" Alena fretted as she examined her father's sleepy face with complimentary bedhead.

"It's okay, Alena. I should have already been up. I've still got tons to do," Isaac said with a yawn.

Alena frowned. Her father was still in his pajamas and hardly looked rested at all. He had bags under his eyes and a 5 o' clock shadow that she'd never seen on him before. She was about to tell him to go back to sleep when Anya spoke up in a boastful tone, "Dad! Winona said that's she's proud of Alena and impressed with her progress."

"That's great news, sweetheart. Wow. You should have gone on a journey a long time ago. You're a natural at this," Isaac praised with a sleepy smile.

Alena blushed heavily at all the praise before waving them off. "It's no big deal, Dad. I'm more concerned about you. Haven't you been sleeping properly?"

Isaac frowned deeply. "Alena, I'm fine. I've been working on some new inventions for the Devon Corporation. I'm just a Junior Inventor. It's gonna take a while and a lot of good breakthroughs before I can relax. If I let up now, I may lose this job. Besides, I can handle a bit of extra work. I'm a big boy."

Anya giggled behind her hands while Alena frowned. If her father was having a hard time, she could easily head back home. It would only take three days- even less if they rushed. "Dad-" Alena started.

"Alena, I forbid you from coming home on my account. We've talked about this. The next time you see me, I want it to be when you're passing through Rustboro City. Not stopping, passing through. Anya, make sure your sister doesn't come home until she's a Top Coordinator. Can you do that?"

"You bet, Dad!" Anya grinned mischievously.

Alena felt her jaw drop. She stared at her father's set expression and examined him. He had looked so tired when they'd first called him, but if it weren't for his state of dress she wouldn't have been able to tell. His eyes were set in firm determination. He really didn't want her to come home... Alena sighed. "Okay, Dad. Just promise me that you'll go back to sleep when we're finished talking...and that you're still eating healthy... and that you're remembering to eat at all. You sometimes forget when you're busy working on a new invention," Alena stressed.

"Calm down, Alena. Dad will be fine. Geez. You worry too much," Anya exclaimed in exasperation before facing their father again. "Don't worry, Dad. I won't let her come home and I'll make sure she stays focused on winning her first Contest. Remember, it's gonna be in Mauville City in five days. They're playing it on TV."

"I won't forget. I've already marked the calendar," Isaac finished with a yawn.

Alena sighed. "Go back to bed, Dad. We're leaving Fortree City tomorrow so we'll call you in a few days when we make it to Mauville City," she said.

Isaac sighed deeply before nodding. "Alright. I'll give you that much. Tell your Treecko and Absol "hello" for me."

"I will," Alena smiled, satisfied.

"Love you, Dad!" Anya exclaimed brightly.

"Love you girls."

~:~

The next morning, Alena and Anya stood at the entrance to Route 119. Winona was standing before them with a proud smile in place. "Good luck, Alena. I know you can do it. Don't forget to call me after you've won your Contest. I'll be watching, but I still want to hear from you," Winona said.

"Thanks so much, Winona. I'll definitely keep in touch. I owe you so much," Alena smiled gratefully.

Winona nodded once before facing Anya. "Make sure to take good care of your sister, Anya. She'll need you."

"I know. I'll do my best," Anya grinned proudly. Alena rolled her eyes good naturedly at her sister before turning to leave. With a final wave, the sisters left Fortree City behind. Winona waved in return and stood at the route entrance until she couldn't see the two any longer. With a heavy sigh, she headed back to the Gym.

Anya was skipping happily down the path with her Cleffable backpack bouncing on her back as she went. Alena watched her sister's movements carefully just in case she fell. After several minutes of this, Alena eventually retreated to her mind. It would be five days until her first Contest- five days until she would be onstage with her Pokémon. She gulped. She'd almost forgotten that she would have to stand on a stage in front of a crowd of people and judges who would be watching her every move.

Was she even ready for this? Just the thought of being onstage was paralyzing her. Treecko was indifferent about most things and Absol always had a calm and collected disposition about her. What help would she be on the stage if she couldn't even call out an attack for her Pokémon? Maybe she could just wait until the next Contest...

Anya was playing a game of hopscotch with imaginary boxes when she noticed that Alena wasn't following her. With a puzzled expression, Anya turned behind her in question. "Alena? Why'd you stop?" Anya asked.

Alena snapped up at once and blushed when she noticed how far ahead Anya was of her. "N-no reason, Anya. Let's go."

Anya frowned. "There's something wrong. You look like you're scared or something," Anya said and folded her arms over her chest.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking about the Mauville Contest," Alena said with what she hoped was a casual shrug.

Anya wasn't buying the pitiful attempt at nonchalance, however. "You're scared of the Contest. Why? You just got a bunch of training from Winona and she's as strong as anybody."

"I know. It's not my Pokémon that I'm worried about. I was just thinking that it would be better to wait until the next Contest..." Alena said and kept her gaze straight ahead.

"Why not this one? What's wrong with the Mauville Contest? Don't you want to win?" Anya pressed.

"Yes, but... What if I can't? Contests take place on a stage, Anya. Where everyone can see you. What if I'm not cut out for that?" Alena frowned sadly.

Anya pouted and let out a dignified humph. "That's stupid," Anya scoffed. Alena gave her sister a shocked look. "I'd want everyone looking at me if I was as good as you are. Winona even said how good you are."

"Yeah, but-"

"Alena, everyone's gonna be watching you. Not just those judges and the audience, but Dad and Winona, too. If you want to be a Top Coordinator, you can't be afraid of people watching you. That doesn't make any sense," Anya brushed off. Alena blinked owlishly at her little sister. How could she just brush off her concerns so easily? As if they were nothing! "If it makes you feel so bad, just ignore everyone else. All that matters is how well you do with your Pokémon anyways. Right? Just focus on them. Not all those people sitting in the crowds. Besides, I bet none of them even know the first thing about being a Coordinator. What does it matter what they think anyways?"

Alena could only stare down at Anya. The small girl had spoken with a proud tone that bordered on arrogance. Her nose up in the air. Her arms folded. Anya had looked far too grown for her age. Alena frowned. Anya didn't really think that she was better than others. Right? "Anya-" Alena started.

"Don't worry about it, Alena. You'll do fine. No. Better than fine. You'll be the best one there. You'll win for sure. I'll make sure of it," Anya said before taking Alena's hands in her smaller ones. Anya began rubbing her sister's hands vigorously, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration.

"Anya... What are you doing?" Alena asked with a lost expression.

"I'm giving you some of my luck. Everyone has luck on them and I just happen to have more than most people. So, I'm giving you some of mine. I'll do it again right before your Contest, too. You'll win for sure now," Anya grinned proudly before placing her fists on her small hips. With a satisfied nod, she turned and started down the path again. "Let's get going, Alena. I've got to get you to Mauville City for your Contest."

Alena watched her sister go with a slightly gaping, incredulous expression. Shaking her head softly, Alena moved to follow her sister. One thing was for sure, Anya had more than enough pride for the both of them. Who knows? Maybe Anya would rub off some of her pride along with that luck onto her sister.

~:~

They weren't far off from Mauville City now. Alena wasn't by any means secure in her feelings about the upcoming Contest. Whenever she practiced with her Pokémon and Anya watched, she tried to imagine a large crowd was watching her instead. She tried to only focus on her Pokémon but it was difficult. Treecko was always quick to keep her focused should she ever drift off into her own realm of insecurities, but Absol was different. Should Alena ever feel worried, Absol would always hesitate. After seeing the worry and hesitation on her Pokémon's face, Alena would quickly catch herself and they would continue on with the practice.

Anya tried to be as critical as possible in her judgement of Alena's performances and techniques. Despite only being eight and extremely inexperienced, Anya always had a lot to say. Alena had only managed to impress "Judge Anya" once with her routine that she had worked on with Treecko. Regardless of the criticism that left Alena's self-confidence wounded and bruised, she always accepted Anya's words in stride. Once "Judge Anya" was gone, regular Anya would always enthuse about how pretty her Pokémon looked or how amazing they were together. The kind words helped Alena's confidence.

It was just after lunch when Anya had suddenly stopped and turned off to the side. Alena quickly jerked to a stop as well before giving Anya a curious glance. "I thought I heard something from over here. It sounded like a Pokémon," Anya explained.

"Are you sure?" Alena questioned before trying to gain a glimpse of any Pokémon.

"Yeah. It sounded like it was shouting about something. Do you think it's hurt?" Anya asked with a worried expression.

"I don't know. Do you think we should check?" Alena asked just before a loud explosion distracted them. Their heads snapped up at once as they tried to stare past all the trees in their way.

"Come on!" Anya urged and dashed off towards the explosion.

"Anya! Wait! It sounds dangerous!" Alena shouted after her and quickly gave chase.

It took a bit of maneuvering to follow Anya through all the small spaces in the thick underbrush. When Alena had caught up to her sister, she was crouched behind some bushes and staring out at a small clearing ahead of them. Alena reached forward to grab her sister's shoulder, but Anya spoke up instead. "Those mean Pokémon are attacking that little one!"

Alena looked up to see that Anya was right. In the small clearing, three large, black and grey Pokémon were growly ferociously at a smaller, green and yellow Pokémon. Alena took out her Pokédex.

Mightyena, the Bite Pokémon. Mightyena is the evolved form of Poochyena. They move primarily in packs, working together to capture their prey.

"They look like the Mean Pokémon to me," Anya grumbled.

Electrike, the Lightning Pokémon. Using the electric charge stored in its fur, it can run faster than the eye can follow.

"Alena, you have to do something before they hurt that Electrike!" Anya urged her sister.

Alena felt her mouth open and close for several seconds as she tried to think of anything that she could do. Not bothering to wait on her sister, Anya dashed out into the clearing and stood between the fighting Pokémon. She held her arms outward as she glared the Mightyena down. "Anya! No!" Alena shouted before rushing over towards her sister.

"Don't even think about hurting this Electrike, you bullies!" Anya shouted.

"Anya, get out of the way," Alena said while pushing Anya away. The Mightyena had been surprised when the girls had suddenly appeared, but they were now growling threateningly at the sisters, Electrike long forgotten. Alena tried to move her sister, but Anya was being remarkably stubborn. Alena was about to pick up her sister and run, but one of the Mightyena quickly fired a Shadow Ball attack at them. The attack hit the ground before them, sending dirt and dust flying into the faces. The girls shielded their faces while Electrike cowered behind their legs.

"Treecko! Help us please!" Alena cried out and released her Pokémon. "Treecko, use Pound!"

"Tree-cko!" Treecko exclaimed before quickly dashing towards the three Pokémon. Treecko's speed caught the dogs off guard, allowing Treecko to hit each of them once with his tail. Shaking themselves out, the Mightyena growled fiercely before firing more Shadow Balls.

"Dodge them and then use Leer!" Alena commanded. Treecko was quick on his feet as he leapt, flipped, and slid out of the way of the Mightyenas' attacks. Treecko glared at the Mightyena, large red eyes floating towards the Dark Pokémon. "Good work, Treecko. Use Pound one more time!"

"Tree!" Treecko yelled before striking the three Mightyena with his tail. The Pokémon fell back before quickly fleeing with loud whimpers trailing behind them. Treecko relaxed his stance before turning away from where the Mightyena had fled to. Despite being outnumbered, the battle had been relatively easy for him.

"Good work, Treecko," Alena complimented before turning to Anya. Alena had been ready to dish out a good tongue lashing to her younger sister. What had she been thinking? She could have gotten hurt! Alena froze when she saw that Anya was tending to the Electrike, however.

"Don't worry, Electrike. Those three meanies can't hurt you anymore. Alena and Treecko took care of them," Anya soothed while stroking the Pokémon's fur. Electrike whimpered sadly before licking some sort of purple stain from its paws and maw. Alena raised a brow at that. "Did those mean Mightyena get you dirty too? Humph," Anya huffed before taking out a handkerchief to clean Electrike with. "There. You're all clean now."

Alena frowned. "Anya, let me see that," Alena requested. Taking the pink cloth that was handed to her, Alena observed the purple stain. After feeling the sticky liquid, Alena shook her head. "Anya, this is Bluk berry juice," Alena informed. Turning critical eyes on to Electrike, Alena spoke again, "Were you eating Bluk berries, Electrike?"

At Electrike's excited yip of, "Electrike!", Alena frowned. She folded her arms. "Did you get those Bluk berries from the Mightyena?"

"Electrike!" Electrike's raspy voice agreed happily.

"No wonder they were so mad. You stole food from them," Alena shook her head.

"Oh, Alena. It was just a couple berries. It's okay, Electrike. You probably didn't mean it," Anya cooed and stroked Electrike's fur some more. She squeaked when she felt some of the electricity stored in Electrike's fur run up her arm.

Alena took out her Pokédex again. "Hmm, that's strange. The Pokédex says that Electrike are normally around two feet tall, but this Electrike is way smaller than that," Alena mused.

"Maybe it's a baby Electrike! That's so cute! Alena, you have to catch it!" Anya exclaimed while taking Electrike into her arms. Electrike was happily barking from Anya's arms while staring up at Alena with wide, joyful eyes. "Think about it, Alena! What if those mean Mightyena come back? Electrike won't be able to defend itself!"

Alena refrained from reminding Anya that it had been Electrike who had caused the trouble by stealing. She sighed before looking to Treecko for help. The Grass type was lounging next to a tree, completely indifferent. Alena shook her head. 'Figures,' she thought. Alena took out an empty Pokéball before activating it.

Electrike happily started pawing towards her while crying out, "Electrike! Electrike!"

"See that, Alena? Electrike wants to come with us. Don't you, Electrike?" Anya smiled.

"Alright," Alena sighed and pressed the Pokéball to Electrike's head. Electrike was converted into a beam of red light before being drawn into the Pokéball. In a matter of seconds, the ball stopped twitching and sealed with a click. "At least Electrike won't be able to steal from other Pokémon now..."

~:~

"There it is! Look, Alena! It's Mauville City!" Anya exclaimed as she stood atop the ledge overlooking the modestly-sized Mauville City. Alena grinned, but it quickly morphed into a grimace. The Contest... "Let's go!" Anya shouted in glee before dashing down the path along the ledge that lead into the city.

"Anya! Be careful! You could fall!" Alena warned her sister, her nerves temporarily forgotten. She quickly dashed after her sister with intense worry written all over her face.

Anya was too busy taking in the sights around her to listen to her sister. Mauville City wasn't as big as Lilycove, but it was still leagues above Fortree City. All the buildings were concrete here and the only green around came from the sparse number of trees in the city. Anya stared in wide-eyed excitement at all the different outfits people were wearing and the Pokémon walking through the city. She'd never even seen some of these Pokémon before! What were their names? Where could she meet one? Where did that girl get shoes like those?

"Anya, you shouldn't run away from me like that. How am I supposed to look out for you if you do?" Alena frowned down at her sister.

"Alena," Anya sighed in exasperation. "We finally made it Mauville City! You should be more excited than I am! Come on. We have to go see where they're having the Contest."

Alena froze. "Um... Actually, Anya... Why don't we head over to the Pokémon Center? We can call Dad or-" Alena started in a shaky tone.

"We can call him later. Let's go! Didn't you say that you have to register to participate in Contests? Let's go so you can get registered!" Anya urged and grabbed her sister's hand. With an impressively strong grip on her sister, Anya led a reluctant Alena through the city only stopping to ask for directions.

There was lead in her feet. It weighed her down and prevented her from even lifting a leg. Alena had a sneaking suspicion that if she were heading to the Pokémon Center (like she'd wanted), she wouldn't be feeling this way. But Anya was right. She did have to get registered. Alena tried to shake off the nerves, but she had minor success. "Anya-" Alena tried again.

"We made it! Look, Alena! It's the Mauville City Contest Hall. Are you ready to win?" Anya smirked before pulling her sister through the sliding, glass doors. The inside of the Hall felt pleasantly cool and was nicely decorated with flowers, colorful furniture, and pictures of past winners. To Alena, the Hall felt chillingly discouraging as she stared at all the Coordinators before her who had been good enough.

"Welcome to the Mauville City Contest Hall! How may I help you?" the receptionist behind the front desk smiled brightly. She wore a navy suit with a red ascot and had her burgundy hair in a bun under her navy hat.

"My sister wants to get registered for the Mauville Contest. Her name is Alena," Anya spoke up in a friendly tone.

The receptionist smiled before typing away on her computer. "Alright then. May I see your Pokédex, Alena?"

"Sure. Here you go," Alena said before handing over the red Pokédex.

The receptionist took it with a small smile before scanning it and typing some more. "All set. The Contest begins at 10 o' clock sharp so make sure to arrive at least thirty minutes before. If you're not here by ten, we'll take that as a sign of forfeit and you won't be allowed to compete," she informed them as she handed back the Pokédex.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure that she's here on time," Anya grinned.

"Anya!" Alena said in a strained voice. Disregarding her sister's embarrassment, Anya took her hand before leading her towards the exit. They stopped when a boy stepped in through the doors and directly in their path. He had green, short hair and eyes, wore a long sleeved black shirt with a purple vest over it and sea green pants. His eyes moved over the room before landing on the sisters. Alena froze on the spot, not sure how to react under the boy's cool and slightly critical stare. Anya decided to ignore the boy, however. "Let's go, Alena. We have to get your Pokémon to Nurse Joy so they can get taken care of before the Contest."

"Uh... Right," Alena answered and allowed Anya to pull her away.

"You're a Coordinator? You must be new," the boy commented before running his fingers through his bangs.

Alena blushed heavily while avoiding looking at the boy. She decided to take the lead then and started to pull Anya out of the building, but her sister didn't move. "What's that supposed to mean? Huh?" Anya glared up at the boy.

Caught off guard by the small girl's tone, he stared down at her in confusion as if asking, "Why are you talking to me?" He was quick to catch himself though. "I only asked because I've never seen you at a Contest before," he explained.

"And I bet you're so professional that you've been to a bunch of Contests before," Anya sarcastically huffed and folded her arms over her chest.

"Of course," the boy bragged. "The name's Drew. You've probably already heard of me."

"Sorry. Nope," Anya brushed him off with an upturned nose, not sounding the least bit sorry.

"What's your name?" Drew asked Alena directly, not bothering with Anya anymore.

Before Alena could utter a sound, Anya made a point to remind Drew that she was still here you know. "You happen to be talking to my big sister, Alena. Also known as the winner of the Mauville Contest," Anya declared.

"Is that so," Drew smirked at Alena. Once his eyes were back on her, Alena felt her blush come back full force. "Since you're new, I'm guessing that you don't have any Ribbons. And since I'm nice, I'll do you the favor of showing you what a Ribbon looks like," Drew said and produced a silver case. He pressed the latch at the bottom and the case slid open to reveal three Ribbons resting inside. The girls speechlessly stared at the Ribbons. Anya was quick to wave them off, however. Alena would have three- no, four!- Ribbons before anyone could blink.

Alena's eyes widened at the blue, purple, and yellow ribbons inside. "Wow. Those are so pretty. You must be pretty good to have won three Ribbons already," Alena said with a friendly smile. Caught off guard yet again, Drew felt the smirk slip off his face.

"That hardly matters. Alena's gonna beat everyone no matter how many Ribbons they have," Anya declared proudly before marching out of the Contest Hall with her nose in the air.

Alena sighed patiently. "Forgive my sister, Anya. She can be a bit opinionated. I suppose I'll see you at the Contest, Drew," Alena said with a small wave before rushing to catch up with her sister. Drew watched her go for several seconds with a surprised expression before smirking and slipping a hand into his pocket. He had made the right choice about competing in the Mauville Contest. Things just got a bit more interesting.

"Can you believe that guy!?" Anya exclaimed at the top of her lungs as she walked down the sidewalk towards the Pokémon Center. She drew the stares from people she passed and Alena nodded to them all apologetically. "Who does he think he is!? You just have to beat him, Alena. You're a way better Coordinator than he is."

Anya held so much confidence in her that she could make such claims without ever having seen Drew perform in a Contest. "Anya, it's a friendly competition. Drew has three Ribbons. I'm sure that I can learn something from him," Alena pacified.

"As long as he learns more from you," Anya allowed in a serious tone.

Alena smiled while patting her sister's shoulder lightly. "Let me drop off my Pokémon for Nurse Joy and then you can help me make some PokéBlock. I'll need your creativity and expertise to make the best PokéBlock that I can for my Pokémon," Alena said.

"You can count on me, Alena. I'll help you make the best PokéBlock ever so you can beat that Drew guy," Anya smirked. Alena sighed, but decided to give up. There was no point arguing with Anya. All she could do was focus on the Contest now.

**Having made a new acquaintance in her fellow Coordinator, Drew, Alena's just gotten a glimpse of how stiff the competition will be at the Mauville Contest. Will she be able to pull through and obtain her first Ribbon? Or will her nerves and inexperience get the best of her?**

**To be continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: So, I have to ask... What does everyone think of Alena? I know that a lot of people on fan fiction.net liked her I was curious as to how Alena is being received by everyone. Do you guys like Alena as a character or nah? I mean, I'm not gonna change her character now. It's too late for that, but it would be good to know for future reference when designing a character.
> 
> And now for the answer to the last Pokémon trivia. It was the Water type! Yep. Misty, Crasher Wake, Siebold, Marlon, Cress, Juan, and Wallace are the seven notable Trainers who all specialize in the Water type. Other types, like Fighting, have six notable Trainers. But none beat Water. For your next question,
> 
> What is the heaviest Pokémon recorded so far?
> 
> Honestly, I guessed this one wrong twice before I had to look it up. I was surprised and yet not surprised by the answer.

**Last time, our heroes had just arrived in Mauville City only days before the Mauville Contest. Now, we find Alena doing some last minute preparations with her Pokémon on the morning of the Contest.**

Alena took several deep breaths of the cool, morning air. She stretched her arms up above her head before bringing them in with a slow exhale. She was standing on some grass behind the Pokémon Center with her Pokémon. Finally, she opened her eyes to look down at them. Treecko stared off to the side while keeping an ear trained on Alena. Absol sat in between Treecko and Electrike while staring up at Alena with a patient gaze. Electrike was actively gnawing away at his side before suddenly giving up on it and quickly dashing around in a circle. After several seconds of Electrike's high-speed dashing and barking, Absol stuck her front leg out into his path. Electrike butted into her leg before somersaulting backward and flopping onto the grass. He blinked slowly in a daze as if asking, "What just happened?" Alena giggled a bit before helping Electrike sit up next to Absol.

"Electrike!" Electrike yipped before licking at Alena's palm happily.

"Today's the day, guys. It's our first Contest. We've worked hard on our own and with Winona. Let's go out there and do our best. Okay? Absol, I'm counting on you," Alena said while patting the Dark type's head.

"Absol," Absol replied with a smile and nod.

"Good. I'm sure that there will be tons of experienced Coordinators today... like Drew..." Alena said, her voice trailing off.

Treecko frowned while shooting Alena a side glance. "Treecko," he urged. Alena raised a brow at her Pokémon, but didn't speak. She stared into Treecko's large, yellow eyes as he gave her a long, hard stare. After several seconds, she nodded once. Treecko relaxed and folded his arms over his chest in acceptance. If Alena needed to be reminded to remain calm and focused before every Contest, then so be it. Treecko could see the potential his Trainer had. He was confident in what they could accomplish together. But they could only do it if she stayed focused.

"You ready, Absol?" Alena grinned.

"Absol!"

Not exactly sure what was happening, Electrike began to quickly dash around Alena while excitedly barking, "Electrike! Electrike!"

"Sure, Electrike. Maybe next time you can be in the Contest. But, I want you to sit with Anya this time," Alena said while grabbing Electrike by his hips. Even after he had been picked up off the ground, the Electric type continued to run on air with his small paws in quick, charged movements. Alena shook her head at his hyperactivity before standing with him in her arms. It was almost 9:30. The time had come.

~:~

"Hello and welcome to the Mauville City Contest! I'm your host, Vivian!" a woman with blue eyes and orange hair that was curled at the end said into a microphone. She wore a pink dress, white gloves, and a wide smile as she stood in the center of the battlefield on the Contest Hall stage. The lights in the Contest Hall had been dimmed and a lone spotlight shone down on Vivian.

Anya looked around the stadium with Electrike on her lap and Treecko occupying the seat next to her. "There are a lot of people here. I hope Alena doesn't get freaked out," Anya said softly. Treecko didn't offer any words, but he did share in the girl's concern.

"We've got an excellent show for you today packed with almost twenty different Coordinators that are all competing for this!" Vivian announced just before displaying a pink Ribbon with a light pink trim and a shiny, golden octagon with a crown at its center.

~:~

At that second, every Coordinator backstage tuned in to one of the monitors hanging in the room. They all stared at the Ribbon as it glittered in the lights onstage. Alena tried to breathe deeply as she wrung out her hands on her lap. She was sitting on one of the cushioned benches with Absol sitting on the floor next to her. Even after the camera zoomed out to view Vivian as she introduced the judges, Mr. Contesta, the Mauville City Nurse Joy, and Mr. Sukizo, Alena could still see the picture of the Mauville Ribbon in her head.

"Absol?" Absol questioned before standing up on her hind legs to rest her front legs across Alena's lap.

"I'm okay, Absol. I promise," Alena said and pat Absol's head. She had been so nervous a few minutes ago. But there was something about actually seeing the Mauville Ribbon... She couldn't explain it. Now that she'd seen it, she just had to have it. No matter what. "We can do this, Absol. I know we can."

Absol blinked at Alena in surprise. Absol was sure that Alena was only seconds away from bolting and forgetting the Contest altogether. But now, her Trainer was raring to go? Absol narrowed her red gaze in determination. "Absol," she agreed.

~:~

"Let's invite our first contestant onto the stage!" Vivian announced from the stage.

It was a young girl around ten. She had short, forest green hair that was pulled back into two pigtails. She wore a yellow sundress and looked extremely nervous on the stage. Anya raised an eyebrow in a show of critical judgement. Treecko appeared even more indifferent (if that was even possible). Ever excited, Electrike panted away while staring down at the unfamiliar girl on the stage.

"Whenever you're ready," Vivian prompted.

The girl nodded with a gulp. Anya rolled her eyes. Is this who Alena had to compete against? "Alena has this one in the bag. She didn't even need my luck. Everyone else competing probably needed it more than her," Anya declared. Treecko silently agreed before shutting his eyes. He'd focus on the proceedings when it was Alena's turn. Anya let out a groan when the girl accidentally slipped and collided with her Oddish onstage. The two collapsed into an unconscious heap on the stage just before the three judges all gave her red Xs.

"Rotten luck! Better luck next time. Let's have our next contestant onstage!" Vivian said into her microphone.

The girl walked off the stage sadly just before a familiar boy took the stage. "It's that Drew boy!" Anya exclaimed. Treecko cracked an eye open at that. "I hope he slips on stage..."

"Roselia! Petal Dance!" Drew commanded in a cool tone. A green Pokémon that Anya had never seen before landed onstage gracefully before spinning and firing a light tornado of pink petals and a pleasant fragrance all over the stage.

"What a delightful scent!" Mr. Contesta exclaimed.

"I feel so relaxed!" Nurse Joy smiled.

"Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo summarized.

"Now, use Magical Leaf!" Drew said. Roselia stuck out one of its hand roses as it started glowing white. It shot multiple glowing crescents at the pink petals to create a light shower of flower petal confetti. Anya pouted as the crowd began to cheer loudly. She rolled her eyes at Drew's score of 29.5.

"What a beautiful performance! A tough act to follow," Vivian enthused as Drew left the stage with his Roselia. "Let's keep it going with our next act. Say hello to Alena!"

~:~

"You ready, Absol?" Alena grinned down at her Pokémon.

"Absol!"

"Good luck out there," Drew said as he approached Alena in the hallway that lead out onto the stage. Drew smirked at Alena and wasn't surprised to see her smiling in return.

"Thanks, Drew. You were great by the way," Alena said before recalling her Absol. She walked around Drew to head out onto the stage. 'I just have to be better.'

The crowd was smaller than she thought it would be. In her mind, she'd always pictured standing in front of an audience of thousands of faces. But, she couldn't really see anyone through the blinding stage lights. She could hear them all cheering, however. She was sure that if she focused, she could hear Anya shouting encouraging words at her. Alena took another deep breath before gripping Absol's Pokéball. "Absol, all eyes are on you!" Alena exclaimed and tossed her Pokéball directly above her and into the air. With a head start, Absol was able to gracefully flip in the air before landing in front of her Trainer in a flawless pose. Alena caught the Pokéball behind her with a grin.

"Quick Attack!" Alena started. Absol vanished in a flash as she made use of the entire stage. Even Alena was having a hard time keeping up with Absol's movements, but grinned widely despite it. She couldn't explain it, but being on stage felt right. She couldn't see the crowd at all. It was as if she was standing with only Absol in the Contest Hall under the lights. They were in their own little world now. "Double Team!"

"Absol!" Absol cried out as suddenly stopped on the stage. Multiple copies of herself appeared on the stage, each one looking just as real and solid as the original.

"Finish up with Perish Song!" Alena commanded.

Each Absol opened their mouth as a haunting, "Absollll" rang out. Red and black sound waves stretched out from every Absol's mouth and washed over everyone present.

"Listen to that folks! What a beautiful note that leaves you feeling chills!" Vivian exclaimed.

At the sound of Vivian's voice, Alena was pulled back to reality. Oh right. She was onstage. "Great work, Absol," Alena smiled nervously. Absol's song ceased at once and they both bowed lowly to signal the end of their performance.

"I really liked how well that Perish Song was able to pull off sounding beautiful and foreboding at the same time," Mr. Contesta said and gave the performance 9.5.

"I enjoyed how well you showed off Absol's powerful legs and made good use of the stage," Nurse Joy complimented and gave her a 9.9.

"I thought the whole performance was remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo grinned and flashed a 9.6 on his screen.

Alena felt her jaw drop as she saw her total of 29.1. Unable to even think, she had to be brought out of her stupor by Absol colliding with her happily. With a giddy laugh, Alena embraced her Pokémon happily before they left the stage together. "You're the best, Absol. I'm so happy to have you as my Pokémon," Alena complimented.

~:~

Anya cheered loudly from her seat, unable to contain her glee. "She did it! Did you guys see her!? She didn't even look nervous!" Anya squealed. Electrike was always ready to get excited even without a reason. So, he leaped over the armrest between the seats while happily cheering, "Electrike! Electrike!" Treecko smirked from his seat with an approving nod. "Now she just has to win her battles..." Anya muttered and clasped her hands in front of her.

~:~

"And here are the matchups for the second round. These four contestants will be competing in the second round," Vivian said as she gestured to the big screen behind her. All Coordinator's eyes were trained on a screen to see who had made the cut.

Alena held her breath as the pictures of four Trainers came onscreen. Absol stared at the nearest screen as well with baited breath. Drew's face was the first to appear. Second was- "Look, Absol! We made it!" Alena cheered before hugging Absol tightly. She hadn't bothered to see who else would be competing. She was far too excited about actually making it. Maybe she was good enough?

"Congratulations, Alena. For a beginner, you're not bad," Drew complimented as he walked up behind them.

Alena flashed him a 100-watt grin. "Thanks so much, Drew. You and your Roselia were amazing," Alena said before standing. She offered her hand to him. "Best of luck to you in the second round. I don't plan on going easy on you."

Drew smirked before accepting the handshake. "Right back at you. It won't be easy to beat us," Drew warned.

"The competitors for the first match of the second round will be Drew and Stefanie! Will both Coordinators please come onstage?" Vivian requested.

Alena watched Drew leave before taking a deep breath. She stared up at the TV screen with a watchful eye. "Absol, pay close attention to this battle. Remember what Winona taught us. We have to do our best to get a feel for our opponent's battle style and adapt accordingly," Alena reminded. "Even if we don't win, I'm sure that we'll be running into these Coordinators again. It's best to learn their styles early."

"Absol," Absol said with a nod before focusing on the battle playing out on the television. Absol quickly focused on Roselia's every move. The Pokémon had a unique style. It moved so gracefully, like a dancer. Its strength was not to be underestimated, however. It was just as strong as it was graceful.

"Roselia, use Petal Dance!" the Drew on the television screen said as he faced off against a girl with long, blonde hair.

"Dodge it, Chimeco!" the girl named Stefanie commanded her Pokémon. She wore a loose purple tank with short, tan shorts. "Use Take Down!"

"Chime! Chime!" Chimeco sung as it zoomed towards Roselia.

"Dodge that, Roselia. Then hit it with a Magical Leaf," Drew smirked before brushing his bangs out of his face. Roselia was much too fast for Chimeco to hit. The Grass type dodged the attack easily before firing a Magical Leaf from behind. Chimeco fell roughly into the field and struggled to get up again. "Finish up with Solar Beam, Roselia."

Alena frowned. Was that the best choice right now? Solar Beam took time to charge up. Why was Drew risking it? Alena watched Chimeco struggle to pull itself off the ground for several seconds. Stefanie was calling out to her Pokémon urgently, trying to motivate it to move but it was failing. The Magical Leaf had landed a critical hit. Alena's eyes widened in panic.

"Seli-a!" Roselia sang while launching a bright, powerful Solar Beam at Chimeco. Although she didn't know Stefanie or her Pokémon personally, Alena couldn't help but feel bad for her. The girl had tried so hard to win. Drew and Roselia had just been too much for her. Alena bit her lower lip in worry.

"And that's all she wrote! Chimeco is out cold! Drew will be our Coordinator moving on to the final round!" Vivian announced at the end of the battle. "Now it's time for our second match between Victor and Alena! Will our competitors please make their way onto the stage?"

"That's our cue, Absol," Alena said and recalled her Pokémon. With a determined expression, Alena marched out of the room and towards the stage.

~:~

Anya was proudly smirking in her seat. She wasn't worried in the slightest. Alena was practically a battling professional. There was no way she would lose this. But just in case... "You can do it, Alena! Good luck!" Anya shouted.

"Electrike!" Electrike contributed. Treecko remained quiet but stared down at the battlefield intently. Alena stood opposite to a plump, adult male in a gray suit. His short, burgundy hair was combed back and he stared sternly at Alena with coal black eyes.

"Five minutes are on the clock. And begin!" Vivian exclaimed.

"I choose you, Jigglypuff!" Victor shouted.

"All eyes are on you, Absol!" Alena replied. The two Pokémon faced each other with hard eyes. Jigglypuff was frowning deeply at Absol, but Absol's expression remained neutral.

"Jigglypuff, use Pound!" Victor commanded.

"Jigglypuff!" the Normal type shouted as it ran into battle. Before its glowing, stubby arm could make contact, Absol quickly leaped over it to dodge the attack. Jigglypuff stopped cold in shock before turning to glare at Absol. Some of Victor's points fell. Jigglypuff's entire body swelled as it glared angrily.

"You'll have to be faster than that to catch my Absol. Quick Attack, Absol!" Alena grinned.

"Ab-sol!" Absol said and dashed quickly at Jigglypuff. The pink Pokémon was pushed back by Absol's attack and bounced several times before rolling to a stop. Before it could rise to its feet, however, Absol was able to knock Jigglypuff over again and back across the field. It went on like this for almost a minute before Vivian spoke into her microphone. "And Jigglypuff just can't seem to keep up with Absol's speed!" Vivian narrated as more points fell.

"Jigglypuff, use Double Slap!" Victor implored with fearful eyes.

"I don't think so. Double Team, Absol!" Alena countered. Jigglypuff tried to strike Absol again but was caught off guard when it only struck air. With wide eyes, Jigglypuff looked around frantically at the many Absol copies around it. "Use Scratch!"

"Ab-sol!" Absol yelled as she leaped at Jigglypuff with her glowing claws extended. All the Absol copies vanished into thin air when she moved. Her paw knocked Jigglypuff down and sent it rolling away on the field.

"Use Sing, Jigglypuff!"

"Use Perish Song, Absol!"

At the same time that Jigglypuff opened its mouth wide to sing, Absol copied its movements. The two Pokémon used their loud voices to fight for dominance over the other. "I don't believe it, folks! I thought I'd already be put to sleep by Jigglypuff's singing, but that Perish Song isn't giving an inch!" Vivian exclaimed. In response to this, Absol increased the volume and pitch of its voice to completely wipe out Jigglypuff's Sing and send the pink Pokémon flying into the wall. "And that's it! Jigglypuff is unable to continue! Alena will be moving on to the next round!" Vivian judged.

"Way to go, Absol! You were amazing!" Alena cheered and embraced her Pokémon tightly. Absol nuzzled Alena happily with a wide grin. The cheering of the crowd faded into the background as the euphoria from her win buzzed in her ears.

~:~

From the television in her home, Winona watched closely. She wasn't surprised that Alena was doing so well. Alena had the makings of an excellent Trainer and Coordinator. Winona had been worried about Alena's nerves getting the best of her, but she appeared to be more than comfortable on the stage. Once again, that confident, strong alter ego was making an appearance. "You can do it, Alena," Winona smiled.

Similarly, Isaac was lifting a box through his living room while glancing over at the TV every other second. He placed the box down before pulling out his permanent marker to label the box as "Anya's shoes". He was being extremely productive in his packing while keeping a close watch on his eldest daughter's Contest performance. Most of the family possessions had been packed away and the movers would be coming to pick up the boxes tomorrow.

He couldn't have felt more proud if he'd tried. "You've got this, Alena. I know you'll win," Isaac smiled. Alena looked so different onstage. She'd been gone less than two weeks and she'd already changed so much. "I wish you could see our little girl, Sabine," Isaac sighed with a smile.

~:~

"I don't know about you, folks. But I am definitely looking forward to this match. The final battle of the Mauville City Contest will be between Alena of Lilycove City and Drew of LaRousse City!" Vivian informed the audience. The crowd cheered at the thought of the upcoming battle between these two, strong competitors. Alena and Drew stood on opposite sides of the field and stared each other down. "Five minutes on the clock. Begin!"

"Roselia!" Drew chose and summoned his Pokémon.

As expected, Roselia appeared in a graceful pose from its Pokéball. "Roselia!"

"Absol, all eyes are on you!" Alena said and released Absol.

"Ab-sol!" Absol cried out and landed onto the field in a strong pose. The two Pokémon stared each other down as they waited for their Trainers to call out an attack.

"Roselia, Magical Leaf!" Drew started.

"Double Team, Absol!" Alena commanded. Alena watched as the Magical Leaf tore through an Absol copy before moving on to the next. Roselia was destroying the Absol copies quickly. At this rate, it would discover the real Absol too soon. "Quick Attack!"

With a sneak attack from behind, Absol quickly tackled Roselia and sent the Grass type sliding across the field. Some of Drew's points fell and he narrowed his eyes at the screen. "Roselia, use Petal Dance!"

"Ro-se-li-a!" Roselia exclaimed and waved its rose hands before firing many pink petals and sparkling specks Absol's way.

"Use Scratch and cut right through it," Alena grinned. Absol charged up its claws before leaping through the petal tornado and right for Roselia with an outstretched paw. The glowing claws cut right through the petals at the same time the specs were running along Absol's white fur.

"Amazing! That Petal Dance is really making Absol's fur sparkle and shine!" Vivian enthused as Drew lost even more points.

"Stun Spore, Roselia!" Drew cried out.

"Se-lia!" Roselia shouted as the pink petals quickly changed to an amber dust.

"Ab!" Absol groaned as she fell after taking that Stun Spore directly to the face. Alena's points took a quick dive, stopping only slightly higher than Drew's.

"Use Solar Beam, Roselia," Drew smirked before brushing his bangs out of his face.

"Ro-se-li," Roselia said while drawing in particles of energy into its rose hands.

Alena glared. That Solar Beam would take a while to charge, but that didn't matter if Absol couldn't move. Absol was still reeling from the dust particles that were paralyzing her from the inside out. Her muscles stiffened and made it hard to move. "Absol, dodge it!" Alena tried.

"Li-a!" Roselia cried as it fired the beam from its rose hands.

Absol's eyes sprang open as she quickly leaped into the air with a powerful jump. "Ab-sol!" Absol shouted from mid-air, her voice ringing out over the field in a strong battle cry.

"Use Quick Attack and follow with a Scratch!" Alena grinned. With a quick flip, Absol shot after Roselia like a rocket before colliding with the Grass Pokémon and pushing it back. While still pushing it away, Absol drew back its glowing claws to attack. The second attack sent Roselia flying into the far wall before it slowly slumped to the ground in an unconscious heap. The sound of three buzzers going off at the same time signaled the end of the battle.

"That's it! The winner of the Mauville City Contest is Alena and her Absol!" Vivian cheered as the crowd went wild. Alena laughed happily before embracing Absol happily and nuzzling her face into Absol's fur. Absol returned the favor by nuzzling Alena's shoulder happily. Drew recalled his Roselia before smiling softly at where Alena and Absol were embracing each other. "We now present the Mauville Ribbon to you, Alena and Absol. Congratulations!" Vivian announced with a smile before handing over the Ribbon to Alena.

Alena stared at the Ribbon for several seconds before taking it tentatively. She felt the soft fabric of the Ribbon and the cold feeling of the gold pin between her fingers before grinning as tears gathered in her eyes. They didn't spill over, however. Instead, she turned to proudly display her first Ribbon for the crowd to see. The crowd cheered and applauded loudly as if sharing in her glee. "I got the Mauville Ribbon!" Alena exclaimed joyously.

"Absol!" Absol cheered with her.

~:~

Since this was her first Ribbon, the judges also gave her a complimentary case for her Ribbon. It was a rectangular, black case with a silver stripe along the middle. The bottom portion (about 1/3 the length of the case) was silver as well and acted as the latch to open it. Alena pressed the latch and the case slid open with a click. Two rows inside the case held five indentations- three on the top two at the bottom- with magnetic chips built in underneath the black, velvet fabric lining the inside. With a satisfied smile, Alena placed her first Ribbon in the middle of the top row. The magnets held the Ribbon in place as well as proudly displayed Alena's accomplishment. Alena exhaled slowly with a wide smile before picking up the remainder of her things to leave.

She found Anya waiting for her with Treecko and Electrike outside the Contest Hall. The second she appeared, Anya and Electrike rushed over to her with excited chattering. "You did it! I knew you'd win!"

"Electrike! Electrike!"

"You and Absol were so cool! Absol looked so pretty! And you didn't even look a little bit scared!"

"Elec! Electrike!"

"Okay. Okay, you guys. Calm down," Alena pacified with a smile. Electrike leaped out of Anya's arms to tackle Alena happily while licking her cheek with his pink tongue. "That tickles, Electrike," she giggled.

"You were amazing, Alena. I can't believe it. You can become a Top Coordinator easy," Anya declared.

"Thanks, Anya. But I really owe the win to you and my Pokémon. If it weren't for your luck and all the hard work my Pokémon put in, I'm not sure if we would have even made it past the appeals round," Alena said.

"Are you always so modest?"

Alena turned around quickly to see Drew standing behind her with a beautiful, red rose in his hand. He was leaning casually against the wall of the building while twirling the rose in his hand. "Hello, Drew," Alena greeted with a friendly smile.

"I was surprised. You did pretty decent today. Then again, your Absol did most of the work..." Drew said.

"You're right. She did. I can never thank her enough. Your Roselia was a delight to battle and watch," Alena replied honestly.

Drew smirked before moving to stand on his two feet. He hadn't expected Alena to respond any differently. He was starting to doubt that the girl had a single mean bone in her body. But for a beginner, she was really talented and held a lot of potential. He'd have to really start working harder. "So where are you heading now?" Drew questioned.

"I heard about a Contest being held in Slateport City. I was going to enter that one, too," Alena informed him.

"What a coincidence. So was I," Drew said with a mix of a grin and smirk on his face. "I'll see you then," Drew said before turning to walk away from the girls and Pokémon.

"If Drew's competing in the Slateport Contest, it's not gonna be easy. I'll need to start working hard," Alena commented with a determined frown.

Anya had been glaring at Drew's back as he walked away, but she stopped when she had heard her sister speak. She stared up at Alena in confusion. When had her sister gotten so... confident? She had seen it during the Contest and she was seeing it again now. Alena was different. Anya smiled softly. Whatever was happening couldn't be a bad thing. If it meant that Alena would do her best to be the best, then Anya could support that. "Don't worry about a thing, Alena. You can beat Drew's Roselia easily," Anya declared. "Let's go back to the Pokémon Center. You have to call Dad and Winona," Anya reminded before pulling her sister away. Alena followed after Anya willingly, the presence of her Ribbon Case proving a pleasant weight in her back pocket. Alena giggled happily and grinned.

**Having won her first Ribbon, Alena now sets her sights on her next Contest in Slateport City. But with Drew and other rising Coordinators also competing, will she be able to pull off a win a second time?**

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: That darn narrator keeps stealing all of my lines. Oh well. I imagined that Contest Ribbons had to be either gold-plated or gold alloy. Gold-plated didn't make sense because then the plating would eventually wear away. Ribbons have been seen to still hold their gold coloring despite being handled for years. So I just went with a gold alloy (14kt gold with 10kt iron). The iron makes it magnetic to hold it in place in the case.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: This chapter will introduce a new OC to the game. All credit goes to Umbruhon for coming up with the character. He designed everything about him. I just added him in. :D I hope you all like him.
> 
> And now for the answer to the last Pokémon trivia. It was Primal Groudon! Primal Groudon weighs a little over 2204 pounds (~1000kg). I guessed Wailord and then Giratina, but both weigh less than regular Groudon. I expected it to be a legendary though so I was close enough. For your next question,
> 
> What was the first human word Meowth learned?

**Having won her first Ribbon at the Mauville Contest, Alena is now wrapping up her last day in Mauville City before she and her sister, Anya, head out towards Slateport City.**

Alena tapped her pencil to her chin in thought before writing some more words down onto her notepad. She was sitting with Anya and her Pokémon in the lobby of the Mauville City Pokémon Center. Anya was running a brush along Electrike's fur on the couch next to her sister. Treecko and Absol were lounging on the floor of the Pokémon Center near the girls. Electrike panted happily on Anya's lap, always ready to receive some attention. Anya had passed the brush through Electrike's fur a few more times when Alena suddenly spoke up, "There. That should be everything we need."

"What are you doing, Alena?" Anya questioned her sister with a puzzled frown.

"I'm making a list of all the supplies we need to buy before we can head out. It's a lot so we should get started on the shopping now," Alena mused and stood.

Anya groaned loudly. Alena stopped and blinked at her sister in confusion. "Do I have to go shopping? It's not like you're going shopping for anything cool. It's just medicine and groceries. Can't I just stay here with your Pokémon?" Anya pleaded.

"I don't know... I don't think that's a good idea," Alena frowned deeply.

"Oh come on, Alena! Treecko and Absol are sleeping. Electrike is gonna fall asleep soon, too! I can sit here with them and wait for you to come back. Please, Alena? If I'm going to be a Trainer one day, I have to learn how to take care of Pokémon," Anya pointed out. "I'll take good care of them. I promise!"

Alena folded her arms with a dubious frown. But at the hopeful glint in her sister's eyes... Alena bit her lip in worry. "Do you promise to stay in the Pokémon Center?" Alena asked.

"Yes! You bet! We'll be waiting right here for you when you get back!" Anya grinned a 10,000 Megawatt grin.

"Oh, alright then. I'll be back around five. Just stay out of trouble. Okay, Anya?" Alena said and shot her sister a warning look over her shoulder before leaving. Alena frowned again at Anya's excited wave goodbye. "She's staying in the Pokémon Center. I'm sure that she won't get into any trouble with Nurse Joy around..." Alena mused as she walked away from the Center. "Then why do I still feel so worried?"

Meanwhile, Anya was giggling in excitement as she moved to stand authoritatively in front of the Pokémon. She stared down Treecko and Absol. Electrike was sitting on the couch with his tongue lolling out of his mouth, still in a happy pant. "Alright, guys. Alena left me in charge and I'm gonna make sure that nothing happens to you guys," Anya said with an entitled air about her. Absol offered her a sleepy glance through lidded eyes before resting her head on her front paws again with a yawn. Treecko had ignored her altogether. Electrike was the only one paying the utmost attention to Anya. "Absol, Treecko, are you guys even listening? Look at Electrike. He's just a baby and he knows to pay attention to me," Anya huffed.

"Treecko," Treecko snubbed the girl before moving to lean his back against the back of the couch and out of Anya's sight. Anya huffed.

"Electrike! Electrike!" Electrike barked before jumping off the couch to trot over to Anya happily. "Electrike!" Electrike barked as he leaned on Anya's shin with his tongue lolling out of his mouth happily. With some quick movements, Electrike leapt back and lowered his head while sticking his tail in the air with a playful growl. He wasn't sure what the girl was talking about, but Anya was always ready to play with him.

"Now is not the time for playing, Electrike," Anya started in a dignified tone. With one finger in the air, Anya turned up her nose. "I'm in charge and Alena left you three in my care. So I have to do a good job of watching you."

"Electrike!" Electrike barked before dashing around and through Anya's legs quickly. She tried to keep Electrike in her sights, but this left her twisting and turning where she stood.

"Woah!" Anya exclaimed when Electrike threw her off balance and she fell backwards. The Electric type dashed back onto the couch before running along the seats with excited barks. "Electrike, stop that. I'm trying to take care of you," Anya huffed but exclaimed loudly when Electrike leapt onto her head and quickly dashed around the lobby.

"Sol?" Absol questioned sleepily as her eyes followed Electrike's every movement around the room.

"Electrike! Electrike!" Electrike barked as he ran around the couch. Treecko did an amazing job of ignoring the hyperactive Pokémon, his eyes shut in mock sleep.

"Electrike! Sit still!" Anya huffed and placed her small fists on her hips.

Electrike froze in his movements before turning to face Anya. Anya folded her arms over her chest with an unhappy frown. With a curious tilt of his head, Electrike stared up at the girl in confusion. Was this a new game?

"Finally," Anya sighed.

"Electrike!" Electrike cried out happily before tackling Anya in a sparking, full-bodied tackle and bowling her over. From where she laid on the floor, Anya saw Electrike happily leap out of an open window.

"Electrike!" Anya called out frantically. She got up quickly and rushed over to the window before looking out for the Pokémon. "Electrike! Electrike, come back!" Anya cried out. "Oh no. Alena's gonna kill me..." Anya fretted.

"Ab?" Absol questioned and lifted her head in confusion.

"Absol! Treecko! Get up! You have to help me find Electrike!" Anya worried. "If we don't find him before Alena gets back, I'm gonna be in so much trouble."

"Absol," Absol nodded and stood.

"Tree," Treecko snubbed and didn't bother to move. Anya had said that she was in charge. Surely she could handle this turn of events all on her own...

"Treecko, if Alena gets back and Electrike is still missing, she won't like that you didn't want to help find him," Anya pointed out smartly. Sensing the truth in her words, Treecko quickly leapt up and perched on the top of the couch.

"That's more like it," Anya smirked in triumph. "Electrike couldn't have gotten too far. We should split up and search around the Pokémon Center," Anya said and led the two Pokémon outside. Once outside, Treecko quickly scaled the walls of the Pokémon Center to get a better view of the city. "Let's split up and search. Let's meet back here in twenty minutes," Anya said and headed left. Absol went right while Treecko searched from above. "Electrike! Come on out, Electrike!" Anya called out as she walked around the Pokémon Center.

"Absol! Ab-sol!" Absol cried out while searching under some benches.

Treecko let his eyes scan the areas farther away from the Center. Electrike was small, but fast. Every second that went by was putting a fair amount of distance between the small Pokémon and them. Treecko frowned. Alena wasn't going to be pleased with any of them when she got back.

After twenty minutes (give or take a minute), the three met up in front of the Pokémon Center empty handed. Treecko frowned in displeasure while Absol and Anya looked worried. "I am in so much trouble..." Anya worried. "Okay. Electrike isn't around the Pokémon Center so he has to be lost in the city somewhere. Treecko, you search near the stores, but don't let Alena see you," Anya ordered.

"Treecko," Treecko said with a nod before dashing away.

"Absol, you search around the houses. But try not to let anyone see you just in case," Anya worried.

"Sol," Absol said with a nod before running off.

"And I'll check the Contest Hall and the Gym," Anya muttered before rushing towards the Contest Hall. She was gonna be in so much trouble for this. Why couldn't Electrike have just listened to her!? She wasn't a Trainer, but it wasn't like she was a stranger to Electrike anyways. Anya glared at nothing with a deep frown. Electrike better be at the the Contest Hall. Anya was going to give the baby Pokémon a stern talking to when this was all over.

Minutes later, Anya jolted to a stop inside the Contest Hall while panting harshly. "Excuse me! Have you seen an Electrike come through here?" Anya asked the receptionist behind the front desk.

"An Electrike? No. I don't think so," the receptionist replied with a confused frown.

"Can I just have a look around? It's important," Anya stressed.

"Well, I suppose. But most of the doors are locked. I'm sure that your Electrike hasn't been through here today," she explained patiently.

Anya groaned loudly while slumping. Hopefully, Absol and Treecko were having better luck than her. "Thank you," Anya sighed before turning to leave. "Well that was a waste of time..." Anya grumbled with a heavy pout.

"Electrike! Electrike!"

Head snapping up and to her left, Anya searched for where the sound had come from. "Electrike?" Anya questioned. There he was! The small Pokémon was crouched at the entrance to an alleyway near her. Relief flooded though her in that second. "Electrike! Where have you been!? We've been looking for you everywhere!" Anya shouted before running towards him with her arms open wide.

"Electrike!" Electrike barked happily before taking off down the alley.

"Electrike! Come back!" Anya shouted and picked up speed. Electrike zoomed down the alley, leaping up onto some trashcans before leaping over the metal fence at the end of the alleyway. Alena stopped on the other side of the fence and stared down at where Electrike was panting happily at her. "I'm not playing with you, Electrike. Come back here. I have to get you back to the Pokémon Center before Alena gets back!"

"Electrike!" Electrike yipped before zipping away.

"No!" Anya yelled in anguish. Resorting to measures she'd never before taken, Anya decided to climb over the fence. It was nearly twice her height, but after about a minute of struggling, Anya had made it to the top. With a panicked shriek, she pushed herself off the fence. "Ow," Anya groaned as she landed on her rear. "Note to self: Next time go around..."

Anya got up quickly before taking off down the street she had seen Electrike take. After a few minutes, she could faintly hear Electrike barking in the distance. "I've got you now," Anya grinned and turned a corner. "Ah ha! I found you!"

"Electrike!" Electrike yipped and bounced in place.

"Don't move!" Anya yelled, but Electrike was already taking off. The small Pokémon was nothing but a shining ball of electricity now. Electrike was zooming way from her, looking like a small blur of electricity. "Stop!"

"Electrike!" Electrike cried out. If Anya didn't know any better, she would swear that he was laughing at her. Is this what having a Pokémon was like? Anya wasn't sure she wanted to be a Trainer anymore...

Her salvation came in the sight of a boy walking down the path on Route 118. He had dark blue hair and was wearing a black long sleeved shirt with a red tee-shirt over it, blue jeans, and black trainers. "Hey! Stop that Electrike!" Anya shouted out to him.

He stopped at the entrance to Mauville City and raised a brow at her in confusion. Seconds later, he was bowled over and shocked when Electrike collided with his chest. Anya flinched at the sight. That had to hurt. Anya grinned when she saw that Electrike had stopped running in order to slather drool all over the boy's face. "Gotchya!" Anya proclaimed and snatched Electrike off the boy.

Electrike wasn't finished playing though. He twisted and turned roughly before he was able to slip out of Anya's grasp. With gleeful barks, Electrike took off into the city again. "No! I had him!" Anya exclaimed in anguish. With a heavy frown, she glowered down at the boy. "I said to stop Electrike. Not lay there and let him lick you," Anya accused.

"I'm sorry. I must have gotten those two things confused," the boy huffed and stood slowly. He dusted out his clothes before wiping his face on his sleeve. "What are you doing chasing that Pokémon anyway?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm taking care of my sister's Pokémon. Since I'm in charge, that makes me responsible," Anya smirked with a superior air about her.

The boy blinked in confusion. "It looks to me like you're trying to get her Pokémon back after you lost it," he pointed out. Anya froze up before huffing and folding her arms over her chest. "I can help you find your sister's Electrike if you want," the boy offered.

"Thanks. But no thanks. You couldn't even help the last time I asked you to," Anya waved him off.

He boy raised a brow at her. "Suit yourself. I was just trying to be nice," he said before walking away. Anya watched him go before rolling her eyes. She was wasting time! Electrike could be anywhere by now! Maybe Treecko or Absol had caught him and brought him back to the Pokémon Center by now? It was worth a shot...

~:~

Alena held the two Pecha berries in her hands, comparing their weights before inspecting them closely. She needed some more berries before she could make more PokéBlock for her Pokémon. Deciding to take both fruit, Alena made her way towards the cashier.

She'd left Anya alone with her Pokémon almost two hours ago. In the back of her mind, she worried about what trouble her sister could be getting into. Treecko and Absol were always behaved. They usually helped Alena stop any trouble from happening. But Anya and Electrike were always excitable and a bit troublesome. Was she right to leave Anya in charge?

Alena took a deep breath to calm her nerves as she exited the market. She was probably worrying over nothing. Anya looked to be taking this job seriously when she left. Everything was probably fine. Out of the corner of her eye, Alena could have sworn that she'd seen a flash of green moving along one of the buildings to her right. With a brow raised, Alena turned to face the building. "That's strange," she muttered. There was nothing there now. With a shrug, Alena moved down the street to continue her shopping.

~:~

"You guys didn't see him at all?" Anya frowned as she questioned Treecko and Absol back at the Pokémon Center.

"Sol," Absol responded sadly with a shake of her head.

"Treecko," Treecko huffed.

"I saw him! I had him for a second, but he got away from me," Anya sighed. "Okay. I never got to check the Gym. We can go there next. You guys should come with me just in case. I think Electrike's playing a game. Of all the times to play Hide and Seek..."

The three checked the town map of Mauville City that was hanging by the door of the Center. "There's the Gym. Let's go!" Anya urged them before they all took off.

~:~

Electrike stopped in his running to sniff the air around him curiously. Anya wasn't following him anymore. Electrike frowned slightly before sitting and staring out at the path he had taken. Where was she? Weren't they still playing their game? Electrike waited for another five minutes before whining lowly. "Electrike..." he sighed and hung his head. Didn't Anya want to play with him anymore? After several more seconds, Electrike could hear someone approaching. He perked up immediately. He should have known that Anya would always play with him.

"Huh? Electrike?" the familiar boy from before questioned him. Electrike remembered him. He was playing the game too!

"Electrike!" Electrike barked while bouncing around in front of the boy.

Curiously, the boy frowned down at the Pokémon. "What are you doing here? That little girl is looking all over for you," he told the Pokémon.

As if to say "I know!", Electrike let out a happy, "Electrike!" with a wide, fanged grin.

The boy smirked down at Electrike before kneeling and taking the puppy into his arms. "Well, I was heading towards the Gym, but why don't we get you back to that girl first?" the boy said.

"Electrike!"

~:~

"Do you see him, Treecko?" Anya shouted up at the Grass Pokémon. Treecko was perched at the top of the Mauville Gym, keeping an eye out for Electrike.

"Tree!" Treecko shouted down with a shake of his head.

"What about you, Absol?" Anya frowned down at the other Pokémon.

"Absol," Absol replied with a frown.

Anya sighed deeply. "Well, that's it then. Come on, guys. Let's get back to the Pokémon Center. It's almost five. Alena's gonna be mad, but maybe she'll know what to do to find Electrike," Anya sighed and hung her head. The three made their way back to the Pokémon Center with an air of disappointed failure about them. Absol was worried for Electrike. He was only a baby lost in this big city. Treecko worried about how Alena would react. Anya was sure that Alena would send her back home without a second thought. Stubbornly, she wiped away the tears that were gathering in her eyes.

The three walked into the Pokémon Center together before sadly moving over to the couches to await Alena's return. Treecko had been trying to remain indifferent to Anya's quiet sniffling when he noticed someone already sitting in the lobby. "Tree?" Treecko questioned with a surprised expression.

"There you are."

"Huh?" Anya questioned and looked up. It was the boy from earlier. He was sitting on one of the couches, but something else entirely had caught Anya's attention. "Electrike!"

"I've been waiting for you. I found your Electrike," the boy said and gestured to the napping pup on his lap. He had been petting Electrike lightly when Anya approached him quickly with wide eyes. "Here you go. I know you didn't want my help, but..." the boy said with a small smile and offered over the sleeping Pokémon.

"Thank you!" Anya said before taking Electrike into her arms and hugging him tightly. Absol and Treecko both breathed sighs of relief.

"Anya!"

Turning quickly, Anya noticed Alena entering the Pokémon Center with several, full shopping bags and a bright smile. "Hi, Alena. You're back," Anya said.

"Yep. I got everything we need. I see everything went okay here. You even put Electrike to sleep. Good job, Anya," Alena smiled and ruffled her sister's hair affectionately.

Anya chuckled nervously before frowning. "Um... Actually, I have something to tell you, Alena," Anya started. Alena blinked curiously down at her sister.

"I was the one who put Electrike to sleep for her. I was just showing your sister the best way to soothe a baby Pokémon like Electrike," the boy quickly butted in. "But she didn't really need me. She's pretty good with Pokémon."

"Oh..." Alena responded unintelligently. The boy had stood while talking and was slightly looming over her as he spoke. He must have been at least 5'6". "I'm...sorry. I don't know your name."

"It's Alex. It's nice to meet you," the boy said and offered his hand for a shake. Alena smiled slowly before offering him her hand in return. "Since you're back now, I should probably get going before it's too late."

"You're leaving already?" Anya asked the boy. Alena raised an eyebrow at her sister. Just how well did she know Alex?

"I wanna get to the Gym before it closes. I haven't had my Gym battle yet," Alex explained.

"You like Gym battles? Why?" Anya asked with a disgusted frown. The thought of Gym battles gave Anya the impression of filthy, sweaty rooms that possessed an alarming lack of class. Alex frowned down at the girl in confusion before looking to Alena for an explanation. Alena had a sheepish expression in place before looking at Alex apologetically. "Contest battles are way prettier than smelly Gym battles. Tell him, Alena."

"Anya, that's not-"

"My sister, Alena, is a Coordinator and she's one of the best. She only has one Ribbon now, but she's gonna win her second one in Slateport City," Anya bragged, cutting her sister off.

Alena had look absolutely mortified by Anya's behavior, but Alex was intrigued. "You're a Coordinator? That's pretty cool."

"Oh? You think so?" Alena asked with a small smile.

"Yeah. I'm really into Gym battles, but I've tried Contests before. I won a Ribbon in Rustboro City last year," he told her.

"Oh wow. So you do both. Are you going to enter the Grand Festival?" Alena questioned further.

"I'm not sure, but I am entering the Hoenn League again. I tried to win it last year, but only made it to the finals," Alex informed them.

"So you're a loser trying to redeem himself?" Anya asked with a brow raised.

"Anya! Where did you learn that!? That's a terrible thing to say," Alena admonished her sister. "I'm so sorry about her, Alex."

"It's alright. I've been doing a lot better this time around. I already have five badges," Alex bragged. "Take a look," he said and displayed the five Badges in his metal case. Alena stared down at the little, metal Badges in amazement. One was shaped like a blue boxing glove. There was a violet, barbell-looking one, one shaped like feathers on a bird's wing, a pink and yellow heart with a red gem in the middle, and one shaped like three raindrops.

"That looks like the Feather Badge that Winona gives out," Anya mused and pointed to the Badge shaped like silvery feathers.

"That's cause it is. It was the first Badge I got," Alex bragged with a grin.

"Wow. You have to be good to have been able to beat Winona," Alena complimented.

"Thanks," Alex said while putting away his Badge case. "What about you? Which Ribbon do you have?"

"I just won the Mauville Ribbon," Alena said while a light blush graced her cheeks. She still wasn't used to talking about her recent win. It still felt like just a dream...

"Cool. And you're headed to Slateport City next right?" Alex clarified. Alena nodded, not able to trust her mouth. "Well, good luck. I probably won't be able to see it in person, but you should be fine."

At Alex's blatant confidence in her abilities, Alena was stunned. Slowly, a bright smile broke out on her face. "Thanks so much. I'm sure you'll have all the Gym Badges you need in no time," Alena assured.

"Thanks. Maybe I will. Who knows? I might even enter a few Contests in my spare time," Alex smiled.

"You can try, but don't think you'll get too far with my sister competing. She's practically a professional. She's trained with Winona and Winona's impressed with Alena's progress," Anya boasted.

"Wow. If you've impressed my sister, you've got to be really good," Alex mused with an excited grin.

"Wait, what?"

"Sister?"

"Why don't we have a battle, Alena? It's probably too late to challenge the Mauville Gym Leader now, but we can have a quick battle before it gets too dark. What do you say?" Alex grinned.

Alena stared up at Alex in speechless surprise. He was Winona's brother? No wonder he was so good. And he wanted to battle her? Alena frowned. "I'm not sure... A battle sounds-" Alena started while trying to think of a good excuse to get out of the impromptu battle.

"Great! She'd love to battle!" Anya interjected.

"Awesome! We can battle out back. There's a battlefield behind the Pokémon Center," Alex enthused and walked around to head towards the battlefield out back.

"Come on, Alena. Go show this guy what you're made of. It'll be easy. Besides, you could use the practice," Anya said and pulled her sister by her hand towards her battle.

Alena sighed loudly. She should have known. No way would she be able to get out of anything with Anya around. Well, she could use some practice... Hopefully, she wouldn't fair too bad against Alex. Maybe he'd go easy on her?

"We'll have a one-on-one battle. That okay with you?" Alex grinned determinately at Alena from across the battlefield.

Alena gulped. "Sure," Alena said while rubbing her arm.

"Tree," Treecko interjected while stepping forward. He could sense Alena's unease about the battle. She was going to need someone to keep her focused before she could get into the swing of the battle and gain some confidence in herself.

"Are you going with your Treecko?" Alex questioned while picking a Pokéball from his belt.

"Sure. I mean, yes. Let's do this together, Treecko," Alena said. With a ready nod, Treecko stood ready to go on the field.

"Hera, you're up!" Alex exclaimed and released his Pokémon. Alena blinked curiously at the navy blue, bug-like Pokémon that opposed Treecko. She scanned the Pokémon with her Pokédex.

Heracross, the Single Horn Pokémon. Though gentle and docile, Heracross possesses great strength and power. Their favorite food is the fresh sap of leafy trees.

"I've never seen a Heracross before," Alena commented while stowing away her Pokédex.

"It's bug eyes look creepy," Anya grimaced and shied away from the Bug Pokémon.

Alex frowned deeply. "They're not creepy. Bug Pokémon are really cool," Alex argued. Anya huffed loudly before turning her back to Alex. Alena hung her head sadly. Would Anya ever be able to go a day without offending someone? "Anyways, you ready, Alena?"

"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess," Alena shrugged.

"Oh come on. Where's your enthusiasm? Don't you like battling?" Alex grinned widely. He'd always loved battling. Being on the field with his Pokémon with nothing but wits and strategy to guide them had always excited him.

"I...Battling is okay. It's no fun when you lose, though. Or you totally mess everything up for you and your Pokémon. And I'm just a beginner so you can imagine how often that happens," Alena sighed. Why was she saying all of this? Her already low mood was dampening by the second. Treecko shot his Trainer a look over his shoulder and after several seconds, Alena picked up on the message. 'Snap out of it. We're in the middle of a battle.'

"Well, aren't you a little ray of sunshine?" Alex chuckled with a grin. "Hera, use Horn Attack!"

"Heracross!" Hera cross chirped out before rushing at Treecko quickly. Treecko's eyes widened just before he felt the sharp pain of Heracross' glowing horn colliding with his torso. Treecko slid backwards on his back with a grunt of pain. He hadn't even been able to see Heracross start moving, much less keep track of all its movements.

"Treecko!" Alena cried out worriedly. When she saw Treecko begin to pull himself up, she breathed a sigh of relief. "We're not gonna take that lying down. Treecko, use Absorb!"

With his tail fully erect in the air, Treecko shot a red beam out of the area where the top of the two lobes of his tail joined together. Treecko began siphoning energy away from Heracross, slowly rejuvenating himself.

"Hera, use Take Down!" Alex commanded.

Before Treecko could finish gathering up energy, Heracross pushed him back with a powerful, full-bodied tackle. Treecko went flying past Alena before colliding roughly with the ground a few feet away. "Treecko!" Alena exclaimed before rushing over to his fallen form.

"Oh no!" Anya gasped before going over as well. When she approached Alena and Treecko, Alena was cradling Treecko's unconscious form in her lap tenderly. "Poor, Treecko," Anya cooed as Alena recalled him into his ball.

Alex had approached them after recalling his Heracross. "Your Pokémon are something else. Winona wasn't even that strong," Alena complimented while standing.

"Thanks. You're still a beginner, right? You aren't too bad yourself, Sunshine," Alex returned the favor with an easy smile. Alena blinked twice in confusion. Sunshine? "I'd get that Treecko of yours to Nurse Joy as soon as possible though."

"Uh, you're right. I'll go do that," Alena said before jogging away with Anya following behind her. Alex watched Alena go before nodding and smiling to himself.

**And so, after a day filled with excitement, Alena and Anya have found a new friend in another Trainer, Alex. He proved to be quite the opponent for Alena and her Treecko, but for how long will it remain that way?**

**To be continued...**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: I'm so done with that narrator stealing all my good lines. Lol ;) Thanks again to Umbruhon for giving me permission to use his OC in this story. I'm not exactly sure what Treecko using Absorb would look like. I didn't think that the beams would come out of their hands. They use them mostly for climbing. Their tails, however, are always being used as a weapon. So why not make it able to siphon energy? Sceptile even uses its tail to draw in energy from the sun when it's using Solar Beam. That's my reasoning anyways. I don't have else to say besides don't forget to review! See you next time!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: This was the longest chapter I've ever written. 15 pages and almost 6,000 words. Woah. I had to cut some things out because it was so long. In this chapter, we'll get to meet up with some familiar faces... Well... Familiar to us. Not to Alena and Anya. I think you can guess who it is... ;)
> 
> And now for the answer to the last Pokémon trivia. It was the word "rocket"! Poor Meowth put so much work into winning over Meowsie and she still rejected him. Learning "Rocket" was what lead to Meowth joining Team Rocket. For your next question,
> 
> Which Pokémon is drawn to the bright lights found in cities?

**Today, we find our heroes on route to Slateport City. Having already won her first Ribbon, Alena is hoping to compete in the Slateport Contest and win her second.**

"So Alena, which of your Pokémon are you going to use in the Slateport Contest?" Anya asked as a way to start a conversation. The two sisters had been walking along Route 110 for a little over a day now after leaving Mauville City.

"I'm not sure. I think I'll either use Treecko or Absol," Alena answered honestly.

"But what about Electrike?" Anya questioned. Alena had used Absol last time. Shouldn't she want to keep it fair and use all her Pokémon?

"Electrike is still a bit too young to be in a Contest, Anya. And he doesn't have much experience in battling. But don't worry. Once Electrike is old enough to start practicing and training, he'll be in a Contest too," Alena pacified.

"I get it," Anya said and nodded affirmatively. Electrike was _definitely_ not Contest ready. The baby Pokémon was nowhere near mature or behaved enough to handle a real Contest. After several more seconds, Anya gasped with a wide smile. "Look, Alena! It's Slateport City!"

Alena felt a smile grow on her face as she and Anya stared at the distant entrance to Slateport City. Anya started giggling happily while running towards the city entrance. Alena laughed as well before jogging to catch up to her sister. After only seeing green forestry for days, there's always something enlivening about returning to civilization.

"It's kinda like Lilycove," Anya mused as she stared out at the sea. They stood atop a cliff overlooking the sea with a beautiful beach below. Alena couldn't help but agree. The salty, cool air was permeated with the smell of sea water. The sun was pleasantly warm on their skin as the light breeze cooled them down at the same time.

"Let's head over to the Pokémon Center. We have to let Dad know that we made it safely," Alena said and started heading to where she spotted the large, red "P" shining atop a white building. Anya stared out at the sea for a few more seconds before quickly catching up to her sister.

The Slateport Contest was in about two weeks and Alena had big plans for practicing and getting ready for it. Her battle with Alex had shown her that she still had a lot to learn if she wanted to become a Top Coordinator. It wasn't going to be easy. Just because she won her last Contest, didn't mean she could slow down and take it easy... Or back out. She'd won her Ribbon fair and square with a lot of hard work. If she kept it up, she could keep winning Ribbons. It didn't matter how inexperienced she was at battling... Or how good other Coordinators were... Or how little she knew about succeeding at Contests... Or-

Alena sighed loudly and slumped at the shoulders. This was going to be harder than she thought. Anya looked up at her sister in confusion. Alena looked a little worn out. Maybe the walking was starting to take a toll on her? "It's okay, Alena. We're here in Slateport City. You can take a nap, relax a little bit, and start training with your Pokémon once your feeling all refreshed and ready to go," Anya smiled.

Alena blinked in confusion before smiling slowly. "Thanks, Anya. I'm lucky to have you looking out for me," she said.

"Of course! That's what sisters are for," Anya grinned and stood proudly.

~:~

" _I'm sure you'll win your Contest for sure. You're too talented not to win, Alena,"_ Isaac smiled from within the telephone screen.

"I'm not so sure about that, Dad. But I will try my best," Alena said with a small blush.

" _That's all you can do- your best. I know that your best is going to win you that Ribbon,"_ Isaac smiled.

"I almost feel sorry for these other Coordinators. They don't have Alena's skill, her Pokémon's strength, or my luck to help them win," Anya grinned proudly.

Isaac smiled patiently before sharing a look with Alena. Alena shrugged with a small smile. " _Well, I should already be in Rustboro City by the time your Contest begins. The first thing I'm going to do is set up the TV so I can watch you perform,"_ Isaac said.

"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot," Alena smiled gratefully.

" _I have to go, kids. Mrs. Denali wanted me to take a look at her dishwasher. It's been leaking all over her kitchen. I'll talk to you soon,"_ Isaac said with a wave.

"Bye, Dad," the girls said simultaneously to their father before he hung up.

"What are you going to do now, Alena?" Anya questioned her sister.

"I actually wanted to spend some time tweaking our performance for the Contest. I want to make sure that everything is perfect," Alena explained and stood.

"You're gonna need perfection if you're competing against _me."_

"Huh?" Alena said before turning around to see who had spoken. She wasn't surprised to see Drew standing behind her with a hand in his pocket with a cool aura about him. "Hello, Drew. You made it. That's good."

"Of course I did. I wasn't about to miss _this._ You may have beaten me once the last time we faced each other, but it's gonna be a completely different story _this_ time around," Drew smirked at Alena.

Alena could feel slight worry settling in her stomach at Drew's words, but smiled at him nonetheless. "You sound pretty confident. Well, good luck to you and Roselia. I know you'll do great," Alena chose as her reply, her kind nature winning out. Anya, however, turned away from Drew and refused to even look at him. Alena was always reminding her that if she had nothing nice to say she shouldn't say anything at all.

"Don't tell me that you're staying _here_ at the Pokémon Center," Drew scoffed.

Alena gave him a puzzled blink. "Where else would we stay, Drew?"

"Don't you know? There's a resort close to the beach that is offering rooms at a discounted price to Coordinators with at least one Ribbon. Even _you_ can get to live in style up until the day of the Contest," Drew huffed and flipped his hair out of his eye. Anya finally faced Drew, her fists clenched at her sides and her face turning red from anger. She clenched her teeth together though. She would have said something. Drew was _asking_ for it!

"Thank you for telling me, Drew. But that's okay. I don't need a luxury resort to do what I have to do. It would be nice, but it won't change how well I do in the Contest," Alena explained.

Drew's smirk fell at that and he stared at Alena in surprise. Her words could have easily been taken as an underhanded insult, but Alena was giving him a friendly smile without a hint of malice about her. Drew finally returned the smile. "Suit yourself. I just came to drop off my Pokémon, but I'll be heading back," Drew told her and turned to leave.

"Alright. See you later, Drew!" Alena smiled after him.

Once Drew was out of hearing range, Anya scoffed loudly. "How can you _stand_ that guy? He's such a stuck-up jerk," Anya huffed.

"Don't be like that, Anya. Drew was nice enough to tell us about the resort. He's just being competitively friendly," Alena explained.

Anya nearly rolled her eyes at her sister's naiveté. Alena was always seeing the best in people (even stuck up jerks like Drew). If Alena didn't have Anya around to look out for her, who knows what would happen to Alena?

~:~

"Treecko, use Pound again!" Alena commanded her Pokémon.

"Tree-cko!" Treecko shouted before rushing to strike the boulder they had been practicing against with his tail.

"Good job, Treecko. Your aim and speed have improved a lot," Alena complimented before offering her Pokémon some PokéBlock. They had been training in a more secluded part of a park in town for privacy's sake.

"Tree," Treecko accepted the compliment before ingesting the PokéBlock without complaint.

"What do you think, Anya? Do we have what it takes to win our second Contest?" Alena asked her sister hopefully.

Anya was sitting with her legs crossed on some grass nearby. Anya hummed in thought before speaking, "I'm not sure. Treecko's definitely ready for Contest battles, but is he ready for the performance round? Treecko can hit hard, but I'm not so sure he can do it while still looking pretty."

Alena frowned in thought. Treecko observed his Trainer from the corner of his eye before turning to take her in fully. Anya had a point. Treecko wasn't sure that he could do "pretty". Treecko folded his arms with a sigh.

"Well, it's not just about being pretty. Contests are about bringing out the best in your Pokémon. If I'm going to be a good Coordinator, I'm gonna need to show everyone what's so great about my Pokémon," Alena explained with a determined tone. Treecko's eyes widened in surprise. He stared up at Alena with wide eyes, but she stared down at him in reassurance. After several seconds, Treecko nodded once with a determined smirk of his own.

"Alright, Alena! Now I _really_ feel sorry for those other Trainers!" Anya cheered. "You and Treecko have got this in the bag."

"Thanks, Anya," Alena smiled at her sister. "Alright, Treecko. Use Pound one more time on that boulder, but don't hold back this time."

"Tree...cko!" Treecko exclaimed and rushed at the boulder. Swinging his tail like a bat, his entire body twisted smoothly before striking down on the top of the boulder. The force from the impact caused the boulder to crack deeply down the middle, but it didn't shatter. Gaining a glint in his eyes, Treecko dropped his jaw and fired a round of gold seeds surrounded by a green aura from his mouth. The seeds hit the crack in the boulder with deadly accuracy, causing it to split wide open before being pulverized into dust. Treecko landed smoothly after the assault with a confident ease.

"Woah! What was _that_ move?" Anya shouted in surprise.

After scanning through her Pokédex, Alena said, "It was Bullet Seed. Treecko, you just learned Bullet Seed! That's amazing!"

"Treecko," Treecko brushed it off with an indifferent shrug. He'd simply felt the urge. He wasn't sure where it had come from, but he welcomed the development. Alena smiled down at her Pokémon, already making plans for how they could use the new move in their performance.

~:~

Two weeks had never gone by faster. Alena was standing with Anya at the front desk in the Slateport City Contest Hall, waiting for the receptionist to finish registering her for the Contest. The green-haired receptionist smiled pleasantly before saying, "There you go. You're all registered for the Contest. It begins promptly at 1 o' clock so try not to be late."

"Thank you very much, ma'am. I'll be on time," Alena replied and took back her Contest Pass. After registering for her first Contest in Mauville City, she'd received her very own Pass as identification for future Contests.

"The Contest doesn't start for a couple hours. What do you want to do now, Alena?" Anya asked her sister curiously.

"I was actually planning to head to the market to pick up something I need for my performance. I was hoping that I could count on you to watch my Pokémon for me," Alena smiled.

"You want _me_ to watch your Pokémon?" Anya questioned speechlessly. Oh boy... Anya was still haunted by the thought of what happened the _last_ time she watched Alena's Pokémon.

"You bet. You were really good with them last time. I'm sure you'll be fine," Alena said and retrieved her Pokéballs from her pocket. She handed the three, miniaturized Pokéballs to Anya before patting her sister's head. "I'll see you at the Contest Hall in a few hours. Thanks, Anya."

Anya watched her sister leave with a foreboding feeling settling in her gut. She looked down at the Pokéballs she held and gulped. Maybe if she kept them in their balls, nothing bad would happen? Anya nodded to herself. Absol and Treecko wouldn't cause problems, but it was better not to take chances.

Suddenly, a group of kids ran into the Contest Hall frantically while panting loudly. They each looked like they had just run a mile. A girl with light brown hair under a red bandana approached the front desk and slid her Contest Pass over to the receptionist. "Excuse me. I'm not too late to enter the Pokémon Contest. Am I?" the girl asked with panting. She was wearing a red, fitted top with a white shirt poking out from underneath, navy and white gloves, a yellow fanny pack, blue, spandex shorts, and red, navy and yellow sneakers.

Anya frowned at the girl before shaking her head. _She_ was a Coordinator? She looked totally unprepared. Sure, Alena had just registered as well. But that was only because she was putting off registering until she was sure that she and Treecko could perfect their routine before the Contest started. Anya shrugged her shoulders at the girl. _Some_ people were just unprofessional.

Anya was about to leave when she noticed the small boy in their group look over at her curiously. She stared back at him with an eyebrow raised. He had short, oxford blue hair and wore a green tee, brown shorts, green and brown sneakers and large glasses. Anya frowned at his appearance. Who _dressed_ him? She was about to leave when he called out to her. "Hey, you have Pokéballs in your hands," he commented. The older boys at his sides turned to look at her curiously as well.

"Yeah. So?" she replied.

"Aren't you too young to have Pokémon?" he pointed out.

Anya narrowed her eyes at him. "You're not much older than I am, you know," Anya replied and held the Pokéballs closer to her. "But if you _must_ know. These are my sister's Pokémon."

The boy's jaw dropped as his eyes widened. "And she _gave_ them to you?" he exclaimed in shock.

"Of course," Anya started in a haughty tone. "She lets me watch them from time to time. I'm _really_ good with Pokémon."

"That's _so_ cool! _My_ sister never lets me watch her Pokémon for her," the boy said and shot a slanted glare towards the brown-haired girl.

"Of course not, Max. You have less experience with Pokémon than I do," the girl pointed out with a roll of her eyes.

The boy flinched as a light blush rose up to his cheeks. He grumbled lightly while pouting and looking away. "So, what Pokémon does your sister have anyways?" Max pressed.

"She's got the best. She has a Treecko, an Absol, and an Electrike," Anya bragged.

"Really? Can I see 'em? _My_ sister only has _two_ Pokémon," he pointed out. The girl grumbled quietly behind him while glaring at the boy's back. Anya panicked. She couldn't let them out! Then Electrike would surely run off again and Alex wasn't around to help her catch him this time... "What's the matter? Can I see them or not?"

"I don't think so. I have to get them to Nurse Joy so they can be in tip-top shape before the Contest. My sister's competing and she'll need her Pokémon in perfect health," Anya explained with her nose in the air. She mentally pat herself on the back for that one. That was _too_ close...

"She is? She must be a Coordinator like you, May," the older boy with the red hat said to the brown-haired girl. He had a Pikachu on his shoulder and wore a hooded, blue sweater with light blue jeans.

"My sister's not just _any_ Coordinator. She's _talented._ Sure, she just started, but she already won her first Ribbon on her first try," Anya bragged.

" _What?"_ the girl named May balked.

" _Yep_. I'm _positive_ that every other Coordinator should just stay home. My sister, Alena, is definitely going to win today," Anya went on in an arrogant tone.

"Oh _yeah?_ We'll just see about that," May challenged with fire in her eyes.

"Why don't we calm down?" the oldest boy tried to soothe May. He had short, brown hair with a brown jacket to match and a green shirt underneath and light brown pants. Anya grimaced. Seriously? Who _dressed_ these people?

Anya turned on her heel before striding confidently from the Contest Hall. The group of kids didn't follow her out and Anya bit her bottom lip in worry. Hopefully, that May girl wouldn't tell Alena what she'd said... "Who cares if she does? She's just jealous that Alena's a better Trainer than her," Anya smirked. She hadn't lied to May. Anya truly believed that Alena was talented at Contests. It almost made her jealous at times of how skilled Alena was at them. But then Alena would say things like, "it's all thanks to her Pokémon" or someone else. Alena never stopped to give _herself_ some credit. Anya found it had to harbor any mean feelings for her sister when that happened. Besides, who could ever be mean to Alena? She was just too... _nice._

~ _Later_...~

Alena stood in one of the rooms backstage at the Contest Hall with her PokéBlock case in her hand. She was staring at one of the monitors around the room, her gaze focused on the MC, Vivian. She introduced the usual judges before displaying the picture of the Slateport Ribbon on the monitor above the stage. This Ribbon was green with a lime green trim. There was a golden circle with a crown acting at the pin. Just like last time, the sight of the Ribbon was enough to soothe Alena's nerves and get her pumped.

"We can do this, Treecko. I _know_ we can," Alena said to herself.

"Talking to yourself already? You're more out of it than I thought."

Alena perked up at the familiar voice. "Drew?" she asked and turned away from the monitor. Drew was leaning against some lockers casually, his eyes closed. "I was just trying to keep calm. I'm not sure how you manage to do it all the time."

"It's simple really. All Trainers have to remain calm no matter what. If you start to lose it, your Pokémon will sense it and then _they'll_ freak out, too," Drew said as if it was basic knowledge, which it was.

"Really? I had no idea. That makes sense. Whenever I've been nervous or scared during a battle, my Pokémon were always quick to pick up on it," Alena mused with a sad smile. "I'll just have to try to remain calm for my Pokémon's sake. I can't have them worrying about me."

Drew hummed before standing and giving Alena a level gaze. "I hope so. You should at _least_ make it through the preliminaries with the amount skill you have," Drew commented with a smirk.

"You think so? Thanks, Drew. I was most worried about the first round, but if you think I can make it," Alena trailed off. Drew shook his head with a smile before leaving the room. He wasn't sure whether Alena was too naïve or too nice for her own good. She just seemed to repel negativity like a shield.

Alena waited for several more minutes, counting down the performances until it was her turn. There was nothing to worry about. Anya, her dad, Winona, Alex, her Pokémon, and even Drew had faith in her. She could do this. "Looks like we're up next Treecko," Alena gulped and took a deep breath.

" _And now, let us welcome contestant number 38, Alena_!"

Alena took a deep breath before walking out onto the stage to face the crowd. She felt her knees wobble slightly as she stood center stage. Unlike the first time she'd performed, she could see the crowd much better. They were so much _closer_. "Okay. Here we go. Treecko, all eyes are on you!" Alena declared and released Treecko from his ball. Treecko landed on the stage smoothly before standing and offering the crowd an indifferent stare.

"What a cool and aloof entrance!" Vivian smiled and gushed.

"Let's get started, Treecko!" Alena called out and waved her PokéBlock case once in an arc over her head. Four, amber colored PokéBlock shot out of the case and into the air above the two of them. With a narrowed gaze, Treecko quickly scaled the walls of the stage before pushing off from the wall like a missile towards the PokéBlock. He caught them all in his mouth in one smooth motion before flipping mid-air and landing into the stage smoothly. "Now, use Bullet Seed!" Alena started off. She'd perfected a new PokéBlock recipe specifically for this performance. A large part of the recipe called off the use of honey rather than berries. It'd taken a few tries, but the PokéBlock she'd made were the perfect, sticky texture required for their performance.

Treecko finished chewing the PokéBlock, but refrain from swallowing. "Tree-cko!" Treecko cried out while firing the Bullet Seed above him. Each seed was coated with the remains of the sticky PokéBlock on its way out of his mouth before it stopped mid-air.

"What's this? It looks like the Bullet Seed is sticking to itself in mid-air! What a turn of events!" Vivian enthused into the microphone.

Treecko ceased his attack when he'd run out of the sticky PokéBlock. Above the field, the Bullet Seed ball glowed a luminescent green like a natural disco ball before falling slowly to the field. "Use Pound, Treecko!" Alena continued. Treecko poised his tail before striking the incoming ball with just the amount of force necessary to send it flying, but not destroy it completely. They'd spent the last two weeks working on control and speed to ensure that the ball lasted long enough to show off Treecko's best traits.

"Look at that folks! There's that climbing prowess that Treecko are known for!" Vivian smiled widely while watching Treecko play solo baseball. Treecko was scaling, climbing, and sticking to just about any surface he could reach as he smacked the Bullet Seed ball around the stage. "Treecko seems to have the crowd on the edge of their seats. The crowd can't seem to tear their eyes away from Treecko's game. Let's hope he doesn't miss the ball!"

Alena paid close attention to the ball for any signs of stress. After about six hits, she spotted a slight crack in the ball. She and Treecko shared a look just before he pushed off the wall one last time and landed on the field. "Treecko, finish up with Bullet Seed one more time!" Alena finished.

"Tree-cko-cko-cko!" Treecko cried, not holding back this time. The seeds he fired this time struck the ball as if fell before cracking it and causing it to explode in a shower of green and amber dust. As the remains of the Bullet Seed rained down over the stage, Treecko and Alena bowed to the crowd.

"What a performance. Let's see what the judges thought..." Vivian said and gestured over to the judges. Alena and Treecko watched the monitors sharply, momentarily forgetting how to breathe. 9.0...9.3...9.5... "A twenty-seven point eight! Wow! Any comments, judges?"

"I appreciated the creative use of Treecko's Bullet Seed," Mr. Contesta praised.

"Treecko's speed and control were simply _remarkable!_ " Mr. Sukizo said with a grin.

"Treecko and its Trainer looked totally in-sync during their performance. I was very impressed by the level of understanding between them," Nurse Joy smiled.

"Did you hear that, Treecko?" Alena grinned before pulling Treecko into her arms. The Grass type blushed heavily at the contact, but didn't try to pull away. He let Alena carry him off stage pushing away his embarrassment for her sake. He remained in her arms until she put him down outside the door to one of the room's backstage. They entered together to see a boy and a girl already occupying the room. "Oh, hi Drew," Alena greeted.

"Hey. Not bad out there," Drew replied with a humph.

"Thanks. I'm so relieved that we pulled it off. We just started practicing that routine two weeks ago," Alena said while releasing a shaky breath. She was still coming down from the adrenaline high she'd been on while onstage. Her knees were still shaking and her breathing was a bit irregular. It also felt like she was smiling too much, but she wasn't sure. Her face was too warm and her hands and feet were far too cold.

"Two weeks, huh? That was nothing short of a miracle," Drew said while brushing his bangs out of his eyes. He tried to keep the surprise off his face, however. Two weeks worth of practice  for a routine worth 27.8 points? Drew was only mildly curious to see what they could have come up with if allowed more time. Treecko's speed and control had been nothing short of impressive for someone just starting out.

"You're Alena. Right?" the girl with light brown hair asked. "I'm May."

"Oh. It's nice to meet you, May. Are you a friend of Drew's?" Alena smiled. At Drew's humph, May turned her head away from him angrily. Alena sheepishly rubbed her arm. " _Okay_. Maybe not. Either way, good luck out there."

"Um... thanks..." May blinked strangely up at Alena. "You're a lot different than I expected."

"What do you mean?" Alena frowned.

"It's just that I met your sister and the way she talked about you made you sound totally different than the way you're acting," May explained.

Alena sighed. "I'm sorry about my sister, Anya," Alena apologized in an automatic tone. "I hope she didn't offend you too much."

"It's okay. Really. I'm just glad that you're not at all like I expected you'd be," May smiled.

" _And now, here's contestant number 49!"_ Vivian's voice sounded from the monitor.

"Oops! I'd better go. I'm number 50," May said before rising and shakily walking to the door.

"Good luck, May!" Alena called out after her. However, Treecko didn't bother offering the girl any support. Alena watched Drew leave the room and follow after May slowly. Curiously, she raised a brow at that. "They don't act like friends, but Drew sure is interested in May's performance. What do you think, Treecko?"

"Treecko. Tree," Treecko sighed before lounging against the nearest bench.

~:~

"The results are in and I thank you all for your patience. These eight Coordinators will be moving on to the second round!" Vivian declared and gestured to the monitor above the screen. Anya scanned the faces until she saw Alena's face staring back at her. "She made it you guys! I _knew_ she would," Anya smirked.

"Absol," Absol said with a pleased smile.

"Electrike!" Electrike barked happily from his seat on Anya's lap. Anya was careful not to let Electrike go, but the Contest was doing a good job of holding Electrike's interest and keeping him from running off.

"The contestants are now being randomly chosen to see whom they will be facing in battle," Vivian explained as faces of Coordinators flashed on the screen. "And the results are in!"

"She's facing off against some kid. No worries, Alena has got this one in the bag," Anya smiled widely. "Let's go see her backstage."

~:~

Alena was breathing deeply backstage and trying to block out all distractions. May and Drew were battling in the first match of the second round. She wanted to watch, but she was trying her best to remain focused. Drew's words from earlier were still ringing around in her head. She had to remain focused and calm. Treecko needed her.

"Alena! Surprise!"

With a startled cry, Alena fell back off the bench she had been sitting on. She groaned pitifully from where she hung half-off the bench. Alena heard Treecko chuckling softly and shot him a glare.

"Whoops. Sorry, Alena," Anya apologized while helping her sister sit up again.

"It's alright, Anya. What are you doing back here?" Alena said as she rubbed the back of her head.

"I wanted to wait with you back here. I mean, I already know you're going to win," Anya said as she hugged Electrike to her with a confident smile.

"Electrike! Electrike!" Electrike happily agreed from Anya's arms. Absol was sitting by Anya's side quietly, but she had a confident gleam in her red eyes.

"Thanks, you guys. You're just the best," Alena smiled.

" _And that's it! It's battle off!"_ Vivian's voice broke through the speakers. They all looked up at the screen to see Drew's Roselia facing May's unconscious Beautifly.

"Oh no. Poor May," Alena frowned. Anya didn't say anything as she stared at the screen. "I hope she's okay."

After several minutes, Alena looked up when May quietly entered the room with tears gathering in her eyes. She sat on a different bench away from the girls and didn't say a word. Slowly, Alena went over to May and placed a hand onto May's shoulder. "May, it's gonna be alright," Alena said.

"Yeah _right_ ," May scoffed in a shaky voice. "Weren't you watching? I'm _so bad_ at this."

"May, it's okay. You worked hard with your Beautifly. You two tried your best out there. So what if you don't win? It's not the end of the world. You just have to train harder and try again. You can't let one loss get you down. You owe it to your Pokémon to put them first and work even harder for them," Alena said before letting go of May and leaving the room.

Anya watched May hang her head as she silently cried. Every once in a while, May would sniffle or hiccup lightly. Anya frowned deeply. Losing really was a terrible thing. Anya turned her eyes to where Alena was battling the blue-haired boy on the stage. At another sniffle from May, Anya pursed her lips thoughtfully. "You shouldn't cry you know," she started.

"W-what?" May asked before turning to Anya.

"I said that you shouldn't cry...at least not over _Drew._ He's not even worth it," Anya huffed. May stared at Anya for several more seconds before going back to staring at her knees. "Sometimes you lose and its hard. That just means you have to come back even stronger the next time around. If _I_ were you, I'd be working on a whole new routine with my Pokémon so that the next time I saw Drew, I would beat him good and rub my victory in his jerky face," Anya huffed and folded her arms over her chest. May didn't respond to this, but after a while, she did giggle lightly.

" _And that was a quick match between Alena's Treecko and Adrien's Ledyba! Alena will be moving on the second stage!"_

Anya smirked at that. She looked up when she heard the door being opened. May's brother and friends entered the room quietly with sad frowns on their faces. Anya turned away from them and focused on the monitor instead. Alena was about to face off against Drew.

~:~

"And now we have Alena facing off against Drew in the first match of the second stage," Vivian explained and gestured to the Coordinators on the field. Alena breathed deeply while Drew stood confidently. "Five minutes are on the clock. Begin!"

"Roselia, let's go!"

"All eyes are on you, Treecko!"

"And it's a battle between Grass types, folks," Vivian narrated.

"Roselia, Magical Leaf!" Drew called out.

" _Rooooooo_ -selia!" Roselia cried while doing a quick pirouette. It fired waves of glowing, white crescents at Treecko. Treecko didn't move an inch as the leaves sped toward him. At the last second, Treecko quickly leaped into the air to dodge the attack. The Magical Leaf hit the field with an erupting dust cloud.

"Awesome work, Treecko! Use Bullet Seed!" Alena commanded.

"Tree-cko-cko-cko!" Treecko cried and fired multiple, glowing seeds from his mouth down at Roselia.

"Petal Dance, Roselia!"

"Ro-seli-a!" Roselia said while firing a Petal Dance right at the incoming Bullet Seed. The Petal Dance fended off the attack until all the seeds had been destroyed. Roselia smirked confidently from where it stood.

" _Now! Use Pound, Treecko_!"

Roselia gasped when it spotted Treecko closing in from above with his tail between his legs and coming right at it. The hit knocked Roselia roughly into the field, leaving its head pounding.

"Roselia! Get up and use Stun Spore!" Drew called out.

"Roselia was able to make easy work of Beautifly, but is struggling against Treecko! Precious seconds are ticking by as Drew continues to lose points. Can they turn this battle around?" Vivian asked to build suspense.

Roselia tried to pull itself up as it shook out its head. That tail felt like it was filled with bricks. "Rooooo..." Roselia said as it charged up its attack.

" _Bullet Seed one more time!"_

The seeds hit Roselia directly, pelting it harshly and leaving it unable to move. Roselia cracked an eye open to glare across the field at Treecko. "Roselia, try another Magical Leaf!"

"Leer, Treecko!" Alena commanded. The Leer left Roselia frozen on the battlefield with its defenses lowered. Treecko swung his tail at Roselia with a powerful Pound attack that sent Roselia flying.

"That's _it_! Time's _up_!" Vivian declared.

Drew's jaw dropped in shock. His green eyes went to the screen. Alena had barely lost any points while more than half of his were gone. He released a breath before recalling Roselia. He stared across the field at where Alena was embracing her Pokémon happily. He'd lost to her _again_. He smirked before leaving the stage. She wasn't a bad Coordinator at all. But Drew had no intention of losing to Alena for the third time in a row...

~:~

"And with that, the judges now present the Slateport Ribbon to Alena. Congratulations!" Vivian cheered into her microphone as the audience clapped and applauded Alena's accomplishment.

Alena was blushing lightly as she accepted the green Slateport Ribbon from Mr. Contesta. She grinned happily before clutching the Ribbon to her chest. "I got the Slateport Ribbon!" she cheered.

"Treecko," Treecko nodded from where he stood next to her with his arms folded aloofly.

"I've been your MC, Vivian, and I want to thank you all for coming and we hope to see you again soon," Vivian wrapped up the show. The audience cheered and applauded, fully satisfied in the entertainment they'd received.

Alena left the stage with Treecko before heading backstage to grab her things. She clutched her Ribbon case to her happily while humming a jaunty tune. Treecko waited for her to grab her things before following her out of the Contest Hall altogether. They found Anya outside waiting with May and her friends. "Hey, Alena. Congratulations on winning," May started.

"Thanks, May. I'm glad you're feeling better," Alena said with a smile.

"Yep. I'm done crying. I'm gonna work even harder to become a better Trainer so I can win next time," May said with a determined look in her eyes.

"That's good to hear. You just keep that attitude, May. I'm sure you're gonna be a great Coordinator," Alena promised with a smile.

"Don't forget: the next time I see you, we'll be facing each other. So you better watch out," May grinned.

Alena returned the look. "I'll be looking forward to it," Alena replied.

**Having competed in the Slateport Contest, Alena has gained more experience, a new Ribbon, and a new rival in May. What challenges await her in the future?**

**To be continued...**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: Whenever Alena competes, I swear I feel just as nervous as she does. Anyways, that's two Ribbons down, three more to go folks. Don't forget to vote and comment!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: Are you guys ready to see another familiar face in this chapter? I am. I'm looking forward to it. ^.^
> 
> And now for the answer to the last Pokémon trivia. It was Dustox! For your next question,
> 
> Which legendary Pokémon has both male and female forms?

**The sun is shining brightly over Alena and Anya as they make their way to Dewford Island for the Dewford Town Contest. Fresh from winning her second Ribbon at the Slateport Contest, Alena is feeling particularly motivated.**

Anya relaxed on her white, plastic lounge chair in her white tankini top with light pink flowers scattered on it and matching swim skirt. Anya completed her outfit with a pair of large, white round shades and tied her curly red locks back in a high ponytail with a pink bow. Absol, Treecko, and Electrike were lounging around them on the deck of the ferry that they were taking to Dewford Island. Alena sat on her lounge chair next to Anya in her black and white bikini top with a loose, white tee over it and black shorts. The deck was mostly vacant, leaving the group to relax in peace.

Despite her Pokémon and sister's casual and relaxed poses, Alena was still feeling a bit stressed and tense. She was sitting up on the lounge chair with her journal on the chair before her. She crossed out yet another idea before flipping to a new page. Alena tapped her pencil to her temple as she tried to think of something new.

"Alena, if you keep this up, all your hair is gonna turn gray from the stress," Anya chided her sister lightly.

"I'm just trying to think of something new that I can do at the Dewford Town Contest. But this is harder than I thought. I usually have so many ideas, but nothing looks good and I can't think of anything new," Alena groaned and pulled her knees up to her chest. She rested her head on her knees with a sigh before closing the notebook sadly.

Anya sat up lightly and pushed her glasses up onto her head. "You gotta relax, Alena. The Dewford Contest isn't for another week and a half. You had two weeks and you came up with an amazing performance for the Slateport Contest," Anya tried. "Besides, no one besides you is worried about the Contest. We all know that your Pokémon are amazing and you're gonna win no matter what," Anya said and resumed her relaxing position on her chair.

Alena didn't respond. Maybe she should take a small break from Contests for a while just to recoup? She needed to work on new ideas. Or maybe she just needed some inspiration? Dad often got creative blocks whenever he was inventing. If she knew anything about these blocks, nothing good would come of forcing herself to be creative. She'd just have to be patient.

"Excuse me."

Alena and Anya looked up at the intrusion. There was a boy standing near them with long, purple hair underneath his triangular, green hat. He wore a green jacket and matching pants with dark green diamonds along the sleeves and down the sides. A navy blue shirt hugged his torso underneath the jacket while revealing his bellybutton through a diamond shaped hole. His blue eyes stared down at the girls in question.

"Yes?" Alena responded.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Is it true that you competed in the Slateport Contest?" the boy asked.

"Um... Yes, I did," Alena answered.

The boy clasped his hands before him as he gasped excitedly. "I _knew_ it! I never forget a face and your face looked _so_ familiar," the boy gushed. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Harley."

"Hello, Harley. I'm Alena and this is my sister, Anya," Alena smiled and stood to shake Harley's hand.

Harley gasped while covering his mouth with his left hand. "You're even taller in person! I'm almost jealous," Harley said with a sly giggle. Alena blushed lightly while rubbing her arm in light embarrassment. She'd always thought that her height was weird. She was much too tall for her age and would only get taller. Alena tried not to think about it. There was nothing she could do if she was meant to be gigantic for the rest of her life.

"I like your outfit, Harley. Where did you get it?" Anya asked while observing Harley's unique style.

"What? _This_ old thing? I made it myself," Harley said while as if it were nothing. Internally, he was positively _glowing_ from the attention.

Anya's jaw dropped. "You _made_ that? I'm so jealous! It's my _dream_ to design and make clothes for people and Pokémon," Anya actually gushed. Alena was surprised. Anya rarely ever complimented someone else's style. At least she was being nice for once.

"Well, Little Red, you've _definitely_ got the style for it. That swimsuit of yours is _totally_ à la mode," Harley complimented with a wink.

Anya blushed at his words while fingering her skirt. " _This_ thing?" Anya started and brushed Harley off, but couldn't keep the glow off her face.

"Say... I was just about to sit down and have some tea and cookies. You gals want to join me?" Harley invited.

"That sounds like fun, Harley. Thank you," Alena replied.

"You can tell me more about how you made your clothes and any other clothes you've made," Anya said while looking up at Harley in admiration. Harley laughed loudly before leading the girls and the Pokémon inside the cabin and to his room. He'd only intended to scope the girl out- a future opponent. But there was nothing wrong with getting to know her and her sister a little better. One could never have too many friends...

Once inside Harley's modest room, the girls sat at the table in the room and waited for Harley to return. Harley's room was a lot like theirs. A large, comfortable bed with white comforter, white walls, brown carpets, a bathroom in the corner, and a table up against the wall with three seats. The sunlight brightened up and warmed the room through the windows near the bed.

"I nicked this hot water from the deck. I tried the tea that they were serving and _ugh!_ " Harley said with an exasperated roll of his eyes. He brought over a tray with three, steaming mugs and a plate of golden brown, sugar cookies. "You would think that they got their tea bags out of a garbage can."

"I haven't tried it yet," Alena said while accepting her mug with a grateful smile.

"Consider yourself lucky, honey," Harley said with a disgusted scoff.

Anya sipped her tea before taking a bite of a cookie. She let out an appreciative noise before finishing off the delicious cookie. "These cookies are delicious, Harley. Where'd you get them?"

"Oh! Isn't it _obvious_? I made them myself," Harley boasted.

"Wow. That's so impressive, Harley," Alena smiled.

"Is there anything you can't do?" Anya gushed while taking another cookie.

"I bake. I sew. And I'm a Coordinator. I'm a triple threat," Harley smirked. Anya giggled at his joke while sipping her tea.

"You're a Coordinator, too? Are you competing in the Dewford Town Contest?" Alena questioned before blowing on her tea to cool it down.

"You _know_ it. I'm planning on putting that pretty little Ribbon in my case and taking it home with me," Harley said with a giggle. "I bet that's what you're planning, too. Isn't it, Alena?"

"I think so. I'm not so sure that I'll be ready in time. I might just be sitting in the stands," Alena said with a sheepish look.

"Now that won't do!" Harley exclaimed loudly, startling Alena. "I saw you in the Slateport Contest. I _never_ would have thought to use Bullet Seed like that. You've got some talent and you owe it to all the little people to be on that stage giving it your all," Harley went on before sipping some more of his tea.

"I don't know, Harley. I'll think about it, but I won't make any promises. If anything, I'll definitely cheer you on," Alena finished with a smile.

"Thanks, hun. But I _know_ I'll be fabulous," Harley smirked and popped a cookie into his mouth. Anya looked absolutely star struck while Alena smiled softly. Harley was definitely confident in his abilities.

"Harley, you have to tell me what you were thinking when you designed your outfit," Anya prompted.

"It's simple really," Harley started. "I just based it off of my dear partner, Cacturne."

"You have a Cacturne? Hm, I see the resemblance now. That shows real care for your Pokémon for you to make an outfit inspired by them," Alena inputted.

"Oh _stop,"_ Harley said while feigning bashfulness. He pushed at Alena's shoulder playfully before smirking.

"You're so cool, Harley," Anya gushed. Harley laughed at her words before winking down at the girl.

Harley watched Alena critically from the corner of his eye. She seemed like a sweet enough girl. Maybe a bit too soft, but definitely sweet and innocent. Her skill might make her a challenge if she really did decide to compete in the Contest...

"Harley, I have to thank you again. You're so kind to share your snacks with us. I've met a lot of people, but I don't think I've met anyone so kind to a stranger," Alena complimented with an honest smile.

Harley felt a part of him swell with her words. He grinned at Alena before pushing his hair back. Her little sister was already worshipping him and that alone left him glowing with pride. And now this? Alena seemed to never run out of nice things to say to him. Any more time with the sisters and he'd probably adopt them!

"You know what? I consider myself a good judge of character and I have to say that I positively _adore_ you two. You make me want to have a sister of my own," Harley said. The girls smiled at him before smiling at each other. "Alena, I don't offer this to just _anybody_ , but I think you'd make a great bestie."

"Bestie?" Alena repeated, testing out the word.

"Of course! But don't forget, just because we're all friends off the stage doesn't mean that I'll go easy on you in a Contest. I give it my _all_ ," Harley promised with a smirk.

"I understand, Harley. I'll do my best to be a worthy rival," Alena nodded once.

~:~

After about three hours at sea, the S.S. Tidal was docking at the port in Dewford Town. Harley, Alena, and Anya disembarked the ferry together before facing each other at the foot of the ramp. Harley placed a hand to his hip before speaking, "Well, it's been fun, ladies. I've gotta get a head start on my final preparations for the Contest. Alena, I'll see _you_ then. Little Red, you keep working on your designs. When you become a world-famous designer one day, I expect an all-expense paid pass to your store," Harley said before turning to leave with a swish of his hips. "Ciao!"

"Bye, Harley!" Anya called out after him with a wide grin.

"See you soon, Harley!" Alena said while watching him leave. Alena nodded to herself. She had a good feeling that Harley would be a great friend- er, _bestie_. "Come on, Anya. Let's head over to the Pokémon Center."

The girls followed the directions pointed out by a sign on the dock. Dewford Town was a moderately-sized town located at the base of several mountain peaks and right on the waterfront. The girls appreciated the beautiful beaches and easy going nature of the town. The Pokémon Center was a tiered building with white walls and red rooves. Inside the Center didn't look very different from other Pokémon Centers they'd seen- a front desk, a lobby, and some telephones and TVs lined up against the walls.

Alena dropped off her Pokémon with Nurse Joy before heading over to the telephones to make some calls. She called her father first and Winona after. They'd both congratulated her on her latest victory and encouraged her to hang in there through her creative block. After ending her call with Winona, Alena punched in the number for the Rustboro Pokémon Center. The Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center was able to connect her to the Trainer she was looking for.

" _Hey there, Sunshine!"_ Alex greeted with a grin.

"Hi, Alex. How are you?" Alena asked, not bothering to question the nickname anymore.

" _I'm great. I just got my Stone Badge from Roxanne. Only one more to go. I think I'll head to Lavaridge Town for it,"_ Alex informed her. " _How'd you know where I was?"_

"Winona told me," Alena smiled.

" _That makes sense. I saw you in the Slateport Contest. Nice job. I knew you could do it,"_ Alex grinned at her.

Alena blushed lightly while laughing sheepishly. "That's what everyone keeps saying. But, thanks. I'm actually in Dewford Town right now. There's a Contest coming up, but I'm not sure if I'm going to enter it."

" _Why not?"_

 _"_ I've been having a bit of trouble coming up with a new routine for the Contest. I might just take a break for a little while," Alena sighed.

" _Maybe you just need to get out some more. When was the last time you played with your Pokémon or just relaxed with them?"_

Alena frowned at that. "Played with my Pokémon?"

" _Yeah. Your life can't be all about training. Contests require you to have a deep connection with an understanding of your Pokémon. Spending time with them without worrying about training may be what you need. If all else fails, try catching a new Pokémon. You've only got three. Maybe a new Pokémon is just what you need for your next Contest?"_ Alex supplied helpfully.

Alena pursed her lips in thought as she mulled over Alex's advice. "You're probably right..."

" _You're on Dewford Island. There are tons of Pokémon there for you to catch. You can even try exploring the Granite Cave."_

"I'll do that, Alex. Thanks! You're the best!" Alena grinned widely at him in thanks.

Alex seemed surprised by her sudden exclamation, if his widening eyes and slight blush were anything to go by. " _No problem."_

After ending her call with Alex, Alena turned to her sister. "Anya, it might be too late now but what do you say to exploring the Granite Cave with me tomorrow? There's bound to be a bunch of new Pokémon that we've never seen before," Alena suggested.

"Alright. That sounds like fun," Anya said while continuing to sketch in her designer's sketchbook. Alena smiled at her sister's enthusiasm for her passions. Meeting Harley was a really good thing for Anya. Anya had taken so quickly to Harley and he seemed to enjoy her company as well. Anyone who got along well with her family was alright in Alena's book.

~:~

"What kind of Pokémon are you gonna catch?" Anya questioned as the girls walked through the forest on the northwestern side of Dewford Island the next day. According to their map, the Granite Cave was located somewhere in the area.

"I'm not sure. The Granite Cave is known for having a lot of Ground and Steel type Pokémon. I might just catch one of those," Alena answered.

Anya made a face. "Those don't sound very interesting. Why can't you catch a better type like Water or Electric?"

"Anya, if you see any Water or Electric type Pokémon, I'll try to catch it. How's that?" Alena pacified. She wasn't about to start an argument with her sister over something as simple as "Which Pokémon types are better than others". Anya, however, smiled proudly at her sister's submission. "I think that's the cave up ahead. Wow. The opening is huge."

The Granite Cave entrance was at least fifteen feet high and carved into the side of a cliff. Inside the cave was shady, cool, and far rockier than the forest just outside it. The cave itself was very quiet. They could only hear the sounds of their footsteps echoing around them. Condensed water dripped from the ceiling and was readily absorbed into the ground. The cave even smelled of wet dirt.

After several minutes of walking, Anya was ready to turn back. There was nothing in this cave! Nothing but a bunch of rocks and dirt. Maybe Alena would be satisfied to catch a Pokémon in the forest or on the beach? Just as Anya was about to make the suggestion, Alena stuck an arm out in front of her to stop her from going any further. "Anya, look. It's a Pokémon," Alena grinned before taking out her Pokédex.

_Aron, the Iron Armor Pokémon. Aron has an impressive defense power and eats iron ore in order to build up the metal in its body._

Anya's eyes widened when the little, grey Pokémon with holes in its body stopped digging around in the dirt to face them. It stared at them for a few seconds before moving in front of its dirt pile and growling at them. "Aron! Aron!" it yelled fiercely.

"It's little legs are kind of cute. And its eyes are such a pretty blue," Anya mused.

"Aron!" the Pokémon yelled before rushing at the two in a Tackle attack.

"Look out!" Alena shouted before shielding Anya with her body and pushing her out of the way. Aron missed them completely, but quickly regained its bearings and launched a second attack. "Treecko, help us out! Use Bullet Seed!" Alena exclaimed and released her Treecko.

"Tree-cko-cko-cko!" Treecko shouted and fired off a round of seeds at Aron's feet and body.

"A-ron!" Aron shouted before its gray plating gained a blue outline and its entire body shone. The effect of the Bullet Seed reduced by Iron Defense, Aron tackled Treecko fiercely to the ground.

"What's that Aron's problem?" Anya exclaimed.

"It looked like it was protecting whatever it was digging around for," Alena remarked.

"It's attacking us cause it thinks we want its _dirt?"_ Anya balked.

"Treecko, use Absorb! Then use Bullet Seed again!" Alena tried. With Aron's defense so high, physical attacks wouldn't do much damage against it. If she tried to lower it with Treecko's Leer, Aron could just raise it again with its Iron Defense move.

Despite being slightly drained of its energy, Aron was still raring to go. "Aron!" it shouted while its right, front leg started to glow white. It slashed fiercely across Treecko's midsection and sent him flying into the rocky walls. "Aron!"

"Treecko, are you okay?" Alena asked.

"You have to get up, Treecko!" Anya cried out.

Treecko cracked an eye open to glare vehemently at Aron. The smaller Pokémon was dragging its front leg along the ground with a harsh edge in its eyes. It resembled a Tauros preparing to charge so well. Treecko struggled to pull himself up, just as a white light encased his form. Everyone else stopped what they were doing to stare at Treecko in surprise. "What's happening to Treecko?" Anya worried.

When Alena saw Treecko's form start to lengthen, her eyes widened in surprise. "Treecko must be evolving," Alena explained and pulled out her Pokédex eagerly. Anya blinked in amazement from Alena to Treecko. She'd never seen a Pokémon evolve before.

_Grovyle, the Wood Gecko Pokémon. Grovyle is the evolved form of Treecko and live deep within forests. Known as tree climbers, they jump easily from one tree to the next. Even the fastest of Pokémon cannot catch a Grovyle in wooded areas._

"Gro-vyle!" Grovyle exclaimed while pulling himself up from the ground easily. He glared down at Aron menacingly, causing the tinier Pokémon to flinch.

"That's so great that you evolved, Grovyle. The Pokédex says that you've got some new moves, too. Alright then. Grovyle, use Leaf Blade!" Alena commanded.

"Grovyle!" Grovyle said before the three leaves on each of his forearms glowed green, combined, and elongated into two, twin blades. With amazing speed, Grovyle closed in on Aron within seconds before slashing at the Steel type with intense accuracy.

"Wow! Grovyle is so fast!" Anya gushed happily.

Aron wasn't officially down for the count, however. The tiny Pokémon was trying its best to roll over off of its back and onto its feet with the little energy it had left. It's little stumpy legs kicked adamantly as it rocked from side to side. Before it could regain its footing, Alena called for another attack. "Finish this up with Solar Beam, Grovyle!"

"Gro-" Grovyle started as the long leaf on its head started to gather energy. It took some time due to the lack of sunlight in the cave, but Grovyle was able to harness the energy it needed to launch a powerful Solar Beam directly at Aron. " _Vyle_!" Grovyle shouted as it launched the beam of pure energy from the base of the leaf at Aron.

The blast sent Aron flying before it collided roughly with the wall and fell unconscious. "Alright. Go, Pokéball!" Alena exclaimed before tossing an empty Pokéball at the unconscious Aron. The ball twitched slightly for several agonizing seconds, but ultimately sealed shut with a telltale 'click'. "Whew. That's over with," Alena sighed and retrieved Aron's Pokéball.

"You caught Aron? Why?" Anya asked in a genuinely curious tone.

"I saw the way that Aron battled. It was interesting. Wasn't it? Aron seemed a bit stubborn, but ultimately it was pretty strong for being so small. I think it would make a good addition to the team," Alena explained.

"If you say so..." Anya shrugged before pursing her lips in confusion. "Do you hear something?" she asked and turned behind her.

"Hmm?" Alena asked and looked back as well. "It sounds like rumbling..."

After several seconds of hearing the rumbling growing in volume, the girls could make out the sounds of screeching and... wings flapping? "It's more Aron!" Anya shouted when she saw a hoard of Aron kicking up dust as they rushed towards them.

"Those look like Zubat flying above them!" Alena exclaimed in panic.

" _Run!"_ Anya screamed and took off. Alena and Grovyle followed behind her, desperately trying to get away from the stampeding Pokémon.

"The battle must have startled them," Alena acknowledged while running.

"Who _cares?_ Let's just get _out_ of here!" Anya shouted and picked up speed. "I've had enough of caves to last me a lifetime!"

~:~

"Here you go, Aron," Alena said with a smile while placing a small bowl of iron ores on the ground in front of her newest Pokémon. Aron cried out happily before immediately digging into his meal. He let his new Trainer pet his head as he ate. If having a Trainer meant that he got fed iron whenever he wanted, then this couldn't be so bad.

Alena stood up and turned to face her other Pokémon. "The Dewford Town Contest requires that the Pokémon used in the first round be different than the one used in the second round. So, I was thinking of using Grovyle in the appeals round and then using Absol in the battle round. What do you guys say?" Alena informed them.

Her Pokémon agreed to the plan easily enough, But Anya had another idea. "Why don't you use Grovyle for the battling round and a different Pokémon for the appeals? Grovyle is so strong now, it could beat any Pokémon in battle. And all of your Pokémon are pretty enough for the appeals round," Anya suggested.

"I already have a routine in mind for the appeals round using Grovyle. Since I can't use him for the whole Contest, I'll just have to battle with another Pokémon. Electrike hasn't had enough battle experience and Aron isn't used to Contest battles yet," Alena explained. "But that's about to change. Today is all about battle practice for Electrike and Aron."

"If you say so, Alena," Anya shrugged and pulled out a fashion magazine from her Cleffable bag. She started perusing through the pages, leaving Alena to her training.

"Okay, Electrike. It's time to start giving you some battle experience. I think Aron would be a good matchup for you. I'll help you out," Alena smiled and picked up the Electric type. "Aron, ready to battle?"

"Aron! Aron!" Aron shouted before zipping over to face off in battle. His icy blue eyes, narrowed as he focused on the happily panting Electrike. "Aron!" Aron exclaimed and rushed at Electrike in a Tackle attack.

" _Wait_! Not yet, Aron! Dodge that, Electrike!" Alena urged.

"Electrike!" Electrike shouted before quickly dashing to the right and completely avoiding Aron's attack.

"Use Spark, Electrike!" Alena commanded.

Yellow sparks surrounded Electrike's body just as he dashed towards Aron. Upon collision, Aron's body became surrounded with the transferred electricity. "Electrike!" Electrike yipped happily.

"Aron!" Aron shouted before striking Electrike on the head with a glowing claw. Electrike whimpered sadly at the hit while placing its small paws on the bruise that was quickly forming on his head. "A-ron!" Aron shouted before quickly tackling Electrike and pushing him back. Not wanting to battle any longer, Electrike quickly dashed behind Alena's legs with a whimper.

"Electrike?" Alena asked while looking down at her Pokémon. Electrike was trembling behind her leg with a pitiful whimper escaping his throat and fear in his eyes. Aron stomped a stubby leg on the ground like a bull with a fearless and challenging grunt. "Oh, Electrike. You can't run from a battle. How will you get stronger?"

"Electrike," Electrike whined and buried his face into the back of her ankles. Alena sighed patiently while picking up the baby Pokémon and cradling him to her chest. Electrike didn't hesitate to curl into her, his shaking stopping almost immediately.

"I don't think Electrike is ready for real battles. At least not one with Aron," Anya mused.

"You're probably right. Aron is a bit too intense for Electrike," Alena frowned. "Aron, why don't you and Grovyle practice battling together for a while? Absol can battle with Electrike instead."

"Aron," Aron huffed before going over to Grovyle. Battling with Electrike wouldn't help him in any way. It was obvious that his strength and level exceeded that of Electrike. At least the Grass type was a worthy opponent.

"Ready to try battling again, Electrike?" Alena questioned and put Electrike down to face Absol. She stood patiently, waiting for Alena to begin their battle. Unlike Aron, Absol recognized that Electrike was still young. He wasn't ready for serious battling. He needed to go at a slower pace- baby steps.

"Electrike!" Electrike whined while reaching for Alena. Battling had always looked like fun, but they were the worst game ever invented. What kind of game was it where you got hurt so bad?

"Electrike, stop that. You have to learn how to battle sometime. Don't worry. Absol won't go too hard on you. Just give it another try," Alena soothed and turned him around to face Absol.

Electrike stared up at Absol with wide, pleading eyes. " _Get me out of here_!" they said to her. With a ready grunt, Absol poised herself for battle. Electrike flinched and froze in place. "Electrike, use Spark!"

"Electrike," Electrike whined while shutting his eyes fearfully. It took a while, but he eventually started moving. His body was once again encased in yellow sparks as he ran at Absol at a much slower pace than usual. Absol was able to easily sidestep his attack with an almost amused look. After not feeling any contact, Electrike slowed to a stop before looking around him in confusion.

"You missed, Electrike. Try again. Use Spark!" Alena said to him.

With a now determined look, Electrike turned back around to face Absol. "Elec-!" Electrike barked and once again charged at Absol. Absol leaped backward to dodge his many attempts at making contact. She smirked down at Electrike. At least he wasn't giving up any more.

Alena let her eyes roam over all her Pokémon. Electrike was using all of his speed to corner Absol while she did her best to refrain from attacking unless necessary. Even after being hit, Electrike simply got back up and moved to attack again. Grovyle and Aron were battling much more fiercely, however. Aron took Grovyle's hits in stride before getting back up to return the favor. If they kept this up, any one of her Pokémon would be Contest ready in no time at all.

**After arriving on Dewford Island, Alena was able to make a new addition to her team as well as see her very first Pokémon evolve. With these new changes, will she be able to pull off a third win at the Dewford Town Contest, especially with Coordinators like Harley also competing???**

**To be continued...**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: Yep. A lot of things happened this chapter. Personally, I don't think that it's impossible for Harley to like Alena and Anya. Alena is a very nice girl, almost impossibly so. How could anyone hate someone so nice? Besides, Harley is capable of having friends. Just ask Solidad. And Anya and Harley have a lot in common. How could they hate each other?
> 
> Just because I've never stated it and I want to help you guys stay on track, here's a detailed list of Alena's Pokémon.
> 
> Grovyle (male)- Pound, Leaf Blade, Solar Beam, Bullet Seed
> 
> Absol (female)- Scratch, Quick Attack, Double Team, Perish Song
> 
> Electrike (male)- Tackle, Spark
> 
> Aron(male)- Tackle, Iron Defense, Metal Claw    


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: I can't wait for Christmas break. 
> 
> If for any reason you guys feels like I'm portraying a character wrong, please call me out on it. This is my first time writing for Drew, Harley, and all of the other Hoenn characters (besides May and Max). I don't want to mess them up. If Drew ever seems too mean or Harley ever seems too flamboyant, let me know. ^.^'
> 
> And now for the answer to the last Pokémon trivia. It was Heatran! For some reason, I can't picture Heatran being female. It's just one of those Pokémon that look predominantly male. Maybe the females are extremely maternal, protective of their young, and have a tendency to be fierce and stronger than the males because of that? You know, I wouldn't mind being a Pokémon researcher. It seems really interesting. For your next question,
> 
> Just how many times has the Magikarp Salesman conned James?
> 
> I want to feel sorry for James, but at this point he's just asking for it. I just imagine him yelling, "Shut up and take my money!" lol XD

**Today is the day of the Dewford Town Contest. Alena has been preparing for this day and is now ready to compete against the other Coordinators that have gathered for the competition.**

The sun was shining brightly this morning, making it a perfect day for the beach. The beaches were mostly deserted, however. The Dewford Town inhabitants were all flocking towards the Contest Hall with eager expressions. Most of the events happening in the town centered around the beach- boat races, surfing or swimming competitions, or the occasional beach party. The Dewford Contest was the only regularly occurring event that brought in an influx of people to the island and gave a boost to the tourism. It also served to connect the island to the mainland and the events going on over there. This was a big day marked on the Dewford Town calendar.

The crowd of people was making their way into the building in order to get good seats for the competition. There were some people with Pokémon at their sides and others selling merchandise. Alena and Anya stood outside the Contest Hall while scanning the faces of all the people moving past them on their way into the building. Anya pouted while Alena frowned. "I hope he isn't late," Alena worried.

"He probably registered already and is relaxing inside," Anya declared confidently. Alena wasn't so sure. They'd gotten to the Contest Hall early. There was hardly anyone gathered yet when they'd arrived. Alena sighed with a deep frown.

" _Alena!"_ they heard someone exclaimed loudly. They both turned at the call to see who was trying to get their attention. At once, they relaxed when they realized who it was. "Just _what_ are you doing out here? Don't tell me that you forgot that the Contest happens _inside_ the Contest Hall," Harley teased with a giggle once he'd approached the girls.

"We were waiting for you, Harley," Anya informed him happily.

"We were worried that you wouldn't make it in time," Alena explained.

"Well, aren't you two sweet? Thanks, Hun. But, you didn't need to worry. Haven't you ever heard of being _fashionably_ _late_?" Harley responded and led the girls towards the building. "Oh! Little Red, _where_ did you get that bracelet? It's _gorgeous."_

Alena smiled when Anya and Harley got into a dialogue about her new, silver bracelet. It was a gift from their father to celebrate his new job and most recent promotion. Their father, Isaac, had gone on and on about how long it would take to get some respect in the scientific engineering community, but it hadn't been long at all. Isaac had only needed to display some of his inventions and explain some of his ideas before receiving an immediate promotion. He was churning out new ideas at an increased rate, thoroughly impressing his colleagues and superiors. All over the news, there was talk of the Devon Corporation coming out with a whole new line of devices that would "revolutionize the lives of Pokémon Trainers all over the world". Alena was exceedingly proud of her father.

Harley and Alena split off from Anya, Electrike, and Aron once they'd entered the building. Anya took her seat with both Pokémon sitting on the seat next to her. Electrike quickly leaped onto Anya's lap after receiving a death glare from Aron, however. Once he had the seat all to himself, Aron smirked and relaxed into the plush cushions. When Aron wasn't looking, Electrike stuck his tiny pink tongue out at the Steel type.

"Hello and welcome to the Dewford Town Contest! My name is Vivian and I'll be your MC today!" Vivian started the Contest off with an excited proclamation. The crowd responded with eager cheers, ready to get the event started. "Let me introduce you to our judges today. There's the director of the Contest Committee, Mr. Contesta..."

"I'm looking forward to seeing the performances of every Coordinator here," Mr. Contesta nodded with a small smile.

"...President of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo..." Vivian went on.

"I have a feeling that this Contest is going to be simply remarkable," Mr. Sukizo said with a grin.

"...And finally, Dewford Town's own, Nurse Joy," Vivian finished.

"It's a pleasure to be here today," Nurse Joy said with a bright smile.

Anya frowned. "The judges are always the same. Don't they have anyone _else_ who can judge these Contests?" Anya questioned no one in particular. Electrike barked happily while Aron watched the stage with a critical eye.

"We have almost thirty different Coordinators competing today for a chance to win _this_ ," Vivian said and displayed the light blue Ribbon with white trim and polka dots. In its center was a golden, triangular shape pointing downward with the usual golden crown at the top. "The Dewford Town Ribbon! This gorgeous Ribbon will go to the winner of today's Contest."

"It'll be Alena. She's a professional. She doesn't even need my luck to win anymore," Anya boasted to Electrike and Aron. Electrike barked happily while Aron stared down at the stage with a puzzled expression. He wasn't even sure what a Contest was. Was it a competition of strength? If it were strength being judged, Aron was sure that he could beat any one of the competitors participating today.

~:~

"That's a really pretty Ribbon," Alena mused from where she stood next to Harley in one of the locker rooms backstages.

"It really is gorgeous. It's going to look amazing in my Ribbon case," Harley remarked with a smirk. Alena smiled at him pleasantly but held a determined look in her eyes.

" _We'll start off with the first round. In this round, Coordinators will show off the routines they worked so hard to perfect. Contest rules state that the Pokémon used in the first round must be different from the one used in the second round,"_ Vivian went on.

"I'd better get going. Pay close attention, Alena. I plan on putting on a show _no one_ will forget," Harley said while blowing a kiss and leaving to head out on stage.

"Good luck, Harley," Alena told him as she watched him leave.

" _And for our first contestant, we have Harley from Slateport City. Let's give him a warm welcome,"_ Vivian said.

Alena watched Harley walk out onto the stage seconds later with a bright grin on his face. He was waving happily to the crowd with an excited laugh. " _Banette, it's time to show everyone just what you can do!"_ Harley exclaimed and released his Pokémon. Alena took out her Pokédex to look up the new Pokémon.

 _Banette, the Marionette Pok_ _émon and the evolved form of Shuppet_. _This Pokémon was originally a pitiful plush doll that was thrown away. A cursed energy permeated the stuffing of a discarded and forgotten plush doll, giving it new life as Banette. They are said to live in garbage dumps and wander about in search of the children that threw them away._

Alena stared up at the grinning Banette while feeling chills run up and down her spine. Harley's Pokémon was absolutely terrifying to watch. She couldn't imagine working so closely with a Pokémon that scared her. But Harley didn't look the slightest bit scared. He looked pleased that Banette was having this effect on the crowd. "Banette is a Ghost Pokémon. I guess it makes sense that Harley would want to scare the crowd with his performance," Alena mused quietly.

" _Will-O-Wisp, Banette!"_

Banette raised its arms into the air as several balls of blue flames formed in a circle around it. The flaming balls moved quickly to form a ring around Banette. The flames grew slightly in size before spreading and creating a flaming circle on the field around Banette. After several seconds, Banette's entire form was hidden behind the brightly burning flames.

" _Now use Screech!"_

Alena waited for Banette to perform the move, but nothing happened. It didn't even look like Banette was moving in its circle of fire. Had it heard Harley call out its atta- Suddenly, Banette's terrifying face appeared in the fire with a loud screech. Alena and several other Coordinators jumped and let out startled screams. The flames wrapped around Banette's face to give it an eerily terrifying glow. While still in the flames, Banette looked to be laughing creepily on the stage. Alena took several deep breaths to calm herself down.

" _What a performance! Let's if the judges were just as scared as the audience were,"_ Vivian said with a shaky voice. 8.5...8.8...8.9... " _And Harley receives a score of 26.2 points! A tough act to follow!"_

Harley was backstage again soon enough and he immediately made his way over to Alena. He had a confident look on his face and he looked down at her. "So, what'd you think of our performance?"

"I've never seen anything like it, Harley. It was unique and it _definitely_ got everyone's attention," Alena said as she rubbed her arm to ward off the goosebumps that were forming.

"Oh, Alena!" Harley laughed. "You're too kind. Are you okay, Hun? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Alena gave Harley a look before shaking her head with a smile. Harley chuckled at his own joke before focusing on the monitor once again.

~:~

Anya held the whimpering Electrike to her and ran her hand along his back in order to soothe him. Harley's Banette had scared the poor baby along with the rest of the crowd. Anya had been pretty scared by the performance as well but refused to show it. It wasn't _that_ scary. Aron had remained steadfast in his seat, not the slightest bit unnerved by the Ghost Pokémon's jump scare.

"Next up, we have contestant number six! Please welcome, Alena!" Vivian declared and gestured to the stage entrance behind her.

"Look, Electrike. Alena's up now. It's okay. The Banette is gone," Anya said and turned Electrike around to face the front. After seeing his Trainer standing on the field, Electrike forgot all about his terror easily enough. He grinned and panted happily as he stared down at the stage. Aron leaned forward to observe closely.

"Grovyle, all eyes are on you!" Alena declared and released her Pokémon. "Start off with Bullet Seed and follow up with Leaf Blade!"

"Gro-vyle-vyle-vyle!" Grovyle exclaimed and fired off many seeds above himself. Once he had enough seeds, he leaped into the air with a powerful jump before they could start to fall. Grovyle easily charged up his dual Leaf Blades as he moved through the air, slicing and dicing each and every seed into small pieces.

"Wow! I can hardly keep up with Grovyle's speed!" Vivian exclaimed.

Suddenly, Grovyle landed onto the field again with a cool pose. "Finish up with a Solar Beam!" Alena commanded. Grovyle gathered up as much energy in the leaf on his head as he needed. This Solar Beam wasn't about power at all. Once again, he needed complete control over his move to be able to supply the bare minimum for the performance to work. Once he had just enough, Grovyle fired a small Solar Beam in an arc overhead.

" _Wow!_ It looks like that Solar Beam is reacting with the diced Bullet Seed that was still in the air to produce a dazzling light show!" Vivian narrated. The crowd started to cheer just as the sparkling seed remains fell down over the field. Grovyle finished with another cool, casual pose while Alena bowed.

"It was easy to tell that Grovyle has excellent control over its moves and strength," Mr. Contesta praised and gave a score of 9.1 points.

"That performance was just _remarkable_!" Mr. Sukizo exclaimed and gave a score of 9.5.

"I appreciate how well trained and cared for Grovyle appeared," Nurse Joy remarked and gave a score of 9.3.

"And Alena receives a score of 27.9- the highest so far!" Vivian said into her microphone.

"Way to go, Alena!" Anya cheered from her seat.

"Electrike!" Electrike barked happily.

Aron was stunned. He'd never seen a Pokémon move like that. He'd seen other Pokémon so far, but none could compare to what he'd seen Grovyle do. Was this what Contests were about? Aron had first-hand experience as to how strong Grovyle was. Could he really be strong as well as... _pretty_? Aron's eyes narrowed in focus.

~:~

Harley frowned at the monitor and steamed silently. They gave _Alena_ the highest score? Sure, her performance wasn't _bad_ , but his Banette had been _amazing!_ What made her Grovyle so special? It probably thought it was so cool the way it was posing on the stage. Harley suppressed a growl.

"Hey, Harley."

Quickly, Harley turned to face Alena with a wide smile. "Alena, _what_ a performance!"

"Oh. Really? Thank you, Harley," Alena said. "Grovyle worked really hard and I'm very proud of him. I'm thankful for the score we received."

Harley nearly rolled his eyes. "Your Grovyle is really _special_. It's a shame you can't use it in the second round," Harley pouted.

"That's okay," Alena said with a smile. "I'm just sorry the judges didn't give you a higher score, Harley. I feel like your performance deserved more."

The fake smile fell from Harley's face. "What?" Harley blinked in confusion.

"You really brought out the best in your Banette. It was easy to tell that you raised your Banette really well. Anyone can make their Pokémon look pretty. But you were able to show off ghostly, haunting qualities in your Banette while still showing off how healthy and beautiful it is. I never would have thought of something like that," Alena said.

Harley felt his face warm as he playfully shoved Alena's shoulder. He laughed loudly before saying, "Oh, Alena! You're _too_ much!" Alena smiled quietly at him in return while rubbing her slightly sore shoulder.

Harley sighed before facing the monitor once again. What was _with_ this girl? Every time he thought about doing something to give himself a little "help" against her, she had to go and be all sweet and nice. _Seriously_ , he was going to get cavities if he hung around her any longer. Harley watched Alena out of the corner of his eye. She was feeding some PokéBlock to her Grovyle while patting his head softly. Harley suppressed a groan. Alena had been nothing but nice to him since they'd met. Maybe this _one_ time he'd back off and play _fair_.

~:~

"And the results are in! These eight Coordinators will be heading on to the second stage of our competition," Vivian informed the crowd just as a series of faces appeared on the jumbo screen above the stage.

Anya wasn't the slightest bit surprised to see Alena's face show up first. Alena was easily the best Coordinator here. Harley was pretty good, but he wouldn't stand a chance against Alena. "Don't forget to cheer for Alena, you guys. She's going to win this thing, but she still needs help remembering that we're all cheering for her," Anya reminded the two Pokémon.

"Our computer will now randomly match up the competitors for the first round of the second stage," Vivian said as the faces were shuffled onscreen.

~:~

There were a few Trainers gathered around the television in the Mauville City Pokémon Center. The Dewford Town Pokémon Contest was currently being broadcasted on the screen. Alex stood behind one of the occupied couches as he watched the screen. Alena had improved a lot since the last time he saw her. Her Treecko had evolved and looked like he was developing into a real powerhouse. Not only that, she was doing really well in the Contest so far. Honestly, he hadn't expected any less from her.

" _For the first match of the second stage, we have Alena from Lilycove City facing off against Justin from Oldale Town,"_ the Vivian on the screen said.

"Alena's going to win for sure."

"Her Pokémon are so pretty."

"I saw her in the Slateport Contest. She was really good."

Alex raised a brow at that. Alena had a fan club? Did she know? Staring at her determined face on the screen, he doubted that she did. But he knew how'd she'd react if she found out. She'd probably blush, stutter, and rub her arm while trying to shove off all the praise. Alex smirked.

" _Absol, use_ _Quick Attack!"_ Alena commanded.

Alex nodded once to himself. It wasn't just Grovyle that had gotten stronger. All her Pokémon looked to be in top condition. Absol moves were too fast to give the opposing Lickitung a chance to react. She must be working really hard with her Pokémon.

"Look at it go!"

"Wow!"

" _And Justin continues to lose points as his Lickitung receives damage from Alena's Absol!"_ Vivian declared.

In the brief moments where the Pokémon were making contact, Absol slowed enough for everyone to see it poised very gracefully while mid-attack. Its fur looked sleek, shiny and above all, healthy. Lickitung looked totally shabby compared to Absol's grace and beauty.

" _Absol, use Double Team and then follow up with a Scratch attack!"_ Alena went on. Lickitung was quickly surrounded on all sides just before the small army of Absol leaped at it fiercely.

" _Time's up! And the winner of the first match is Alena!"_

Alex grinned at the sight of Alena embracing her Pokémon on the screen. Her and Absol both looked so happy. It was amazing how much she had improved in such a short amount of time. If he wasn't careful, she just might surpass him.

~:~

Alena brushed Absol's fur as she waited alone in the locker room. Most of the other competitors had either left or made their way to the stands to watch the conclusion of the Contest. The semifinal matches were happening onstage between Harley and a woman from Dewford Town. Alena had won all her battles and would be facing the winner of this battle. "I hope Harley wins," Alena told Absol honestly.

"Ab," Absol said with her eyes shut in bliss. The brush running through her fur always felt amazing. It was a soothing, repetitive process that she would never get tired of.

" _And time's up! Harley will be moving on to the final round!"_

Alena smiled at that. "Let's do our best. Okay, Absol?" Alena said before recalling her Pokémon. After a few deep breaths, Alena walked out of the room and made her way towards the stage.

"And now the time has come for the final match of the Contest!" Vivian said just as Alena stepped out onto the field. "This match will be between Alena and Harley. Both Coordinators are quite familiar with the Contest stage. So, this should be a very entertaining and refined battle."

The crowd was cheering loudly, the excitement that had been building throughout the competition culminating in this very moment. Alena faced Harley with a calm expression on her face while Harley smirked at her. Despite her calm, Alena could feel her insides twisting nervously. She took a few more deep breaths and tried to block out the sounds of the crowd. "Are you ready, Hun? Because I'm giving it everything I've got," Harley said.

"I'm ready, Harley. We'll do our best," Alena replied.

"Five minutes are on the clock. Begin!" Vivian exclaimed.

"Cacturne, let's win this!"

"Absol, all eyes are on you!"

Harley's Cacturne was growling lowly from where it stood on Harley's side of the field. It's menacing stance left chills running down the spines of most of the people in the room. Alena tried to calm herself down at the sight of the Pokémon. From what she could tell, Cacturne's scary presence wasn't having any effect on Absol's nerve. Alena released a breath. She had to maintain a level head. Both Absol and Cacturne were Dark types. They wouldn't be able to do much damage on each other with Dark type moves, but Cacturne was also a Grass type. She needed to focus and battle smart.

"You don't want to go? Well alright then. Cacturne, Bullet Seed!" Harley commanded.

"Absol, use Double Team!" Alena responded.

"Cac-cac-cac," Cacturne said while firing a round of seeds directly at Absol. Cacturne's Bullet Seed hit one of the Absol copies and caused it to explode at once. Cacturne quickly started to fire its attack at the many Absol copies all around the field, destroying them one by one.

"Use Scratch and follow it up with Quick Attack, Absol!"

"Ab-sol!" Absol cried and quickly ceased producing its copies. With speedy movements, Absol was able to strike Cacturne in the back with its glowing claws before landing on Alena's side of the field once again.

"And with a smooth attack from behind, Absol has dealt some serious damage to Cacturne as well as Harley's points," Vivian narrated as Harley's points dipped.

Harley grit his teeth with a growl. "Cacturne, use Poison Sting!" Harley tried.

"Dodge them and use Scratch again," Alena said. The incoming Poison Sting hit the field, narrowly missing Absol. Absol had leaped to the side before rushing at Cacturne with her claws already glowing.

"Pin Missile, Cacturne!" Harley said with a dirty smirk. He may have promised to fight fair in this match, but that didn't mean he couldn't pull a sneak attack in the middle of the match. Besides, Alena had done it first.

"Cac-turne!"

"Ab!" Absol cried out and hesitated in her assault. There wasn't enough time to dodge the incoming attack, however. The Pin Missile hit its mark before exploding upon contact. The pins stabbed and pricked at Absol's body, leaving her momentarily stunned.

"Absol, are you alright?" Alena cried out.

"Use Faint Attack, Cacturne," Harley grinned.

While Absol was pulling herself up off the field, Cacturne quickly snuck up behind her. "Cac- _turne_!" Cacturne yelled just as it delivered a powerful kick to Absol's side and sent her rolling away on the field.

"It looks like Harley and Cacturne have finally caught their second wind as they deliver a significant blow to both Absol and Alena's points. With less the three minutes to go, can Alena regain control of the battle?" Vivian worried into her microphone.

"I _doubt_ it. Poison Sting, Cacturne!"

"Double Team, Absol!"

Once again, Cacturne's attack struck a duplicate and missed its mark. Alena couldn't keep her eyes from shifting between the points on the screen and the battle before her. She was running out of time and the points were _so_ close. She wasn't sure if they would be able to beat Harley and Cacturne. If both Pokémon were knocked out, the victory was given to the one with more points. Right?

"Absol, Perish Song!" Alena commanded. The many Absol copies opened their collective mouths to release numerous, crimson sound waves all over the field. A red glow surrounded every Absol copy as well as Cacturne, marking them for their imminent fainting. Alena frowned. She just had to make sure to run out Harley's points before the Perish Song took effect. "Absol, use Scratch!" Alena commanded. The many duplicates all leaped towards Cacturne at once, their collective claws outstretched.

"I don't think so. Cacturne, Poison Sting!" Harley commanded.

"Cac-cac-cac!" Cacturne exclaimed with a quick spin while on one foot. The purple Poison Sting struck every Absol before it could get close to Cacturne. It didn't take long for the Poison Sting to strike the real Absol. With a pained cry, she fell to the stage less than gracefully. Alena gasped as she stared at her Pokémon on the field.

"Let's finish this up, Cacturne. Use Pin Missile!"

"Absol!" Alena shouted. Absol could feel the poison trying to spread through her. It was a bearable amount, but she'd already taken so much damage. She cracked a red eye open just in time to see Cacturne firing off dozens of glowing pins from the dark green spikes along its body. Suddenly, Absol felt an invisible force moving through her body, completely draining her energy. She blacked out just seconds after seeing Cacturne stumble and fall over.

"It seems that Absol's Perish Song has taken effect! Both Pokémon are unconscious!" Vivian said just as all three judges sounded their buzzers. "Since both Pokémon are unable to continue, we'll look to the points to determine a winner."

Alena disregarded what Vivian was saying in favor of moving towards her unconscious Pokémon. She kneeled at Absol's side before stroking her fur softly. After several seconds, Absol began twitching slightly. "A-ab?" Absol questioned when she spotted Alena smiling sadly down at her.

"I'm so sorry, Absol. Are you okay?" she apologized. Absol smiled softly before butting her head playfully against Alena's knee. Alena breathed a sigh of relief.

"And Harley is the winner! Congratulations, Harley!" Vivian declared.

~:~

Alex frowned deeply. Several people around the lobby were just as upset as he was. He sighed before turning away from the television. He was so sure that Alena would have won. The final score was close. It was just rotten luck. It was clear from their performances throughout the Contest that Alena was the better Coordinator. It was highly unfortunate. "Well, there's always the next time," Alex sighed.

"Aw, man."

"The match has to be fixed."

"I was hoping Alena would have won. She's my favorite Coordinator ever."

' _Mine too,'_ Alex thought sadly before leaving the Pokémon Center.

~:~

Alena was gathering up her things from her locker with Absol and Grovyle waiting patiently behind her. She'd always been so worried that she would lose that she didn't know how to feel once she'd actually lost. Of course, she felt sad and disappointed. Absol and Grovyle had worked so hard for her. She shut the locker door softly just as she heard the locker room door open. Her head snapped up to see who had joined her. "Oh. Hi, Harley," Alena greeted.

"Hi, Hun. How are you doing?" Harley questioned. He wasn't exactly sure what had made him seek out Alena in the first place. He'd been absolutely _thrilled_ when he'd won the Ribbon. By chance, he'd spotted Alena walking off the stage sadly with her Absol and immediately felt his mood sink. He couldn't understand it. Why did he have to feel so _terrible_ about _winning_?

"I'm alright, Harley," Alena said while facing Harley. "A little sad about losing, but I'll be fine. Congratulations on winning, Harley. You deserve it."

" _Ugh!_ Will you _stop_ that?" Harley exclaimed and angrily folded his arms. Alena was surprised by his sudden exclamation. She wasn't sure what to make of it. "You're making it hard to enjoy my victory here. I actually feel terrible about winning."

"You shouldn't feel bad, Harley. Your Cacturne and Banette worked really hard. You won because you deserved it. Don't feel bad about winning," Alena said and rubbed Harley's arm consolingly.

"Isn't this a sight? The winner has to be consoled by the loser," Harley scoffed. Alena laughed before smiling at Harley. "Well, if you're sure that you're alright..."

"Of course. You were the better Coordinator today, Harley. But I plan on working hard to be even better the next time we meet," Alena said with a determined look in her eyes. "I'm gonna go find Anya. Thanks for checking up on me, Harley. I'll see you later," Alena said before embracing Harley tightly.

Harley quickly recovered from his shock in order to return the hug with a tight squeeze. "I'm gonna miss you, Hun! I've got to go but, don't forget to call me. Alright? Toodles!" Harley said before blowing a kiss and leaving with a sway of his hips. Alena waved goodbye before rubbing her arms to try to return some feeling to them. Harley sure had a tight grip when he hugged people...

It was less than a minute later when the door opened again. Whoever it was on the other side hesitated before pushing the door open and striding inside. "Anya, there you are. I was just going to go looking for you. Are you ready to go?" Alena smiled down at her sister.

Anya had Electrike and Aron at her sides and was watching Alena curiously. "You don't look upset," Anya noted.

Alena frowned in confusion. "No. I mean, I am pretty upset, but I'll be alright," Alena told her.

Anya frowned deeply. She was sure that Alena would be more upset about losing. "You aren't mad or something? I mean, Harley just beat you. Didn't you want to win?"

"Of course I wanted to win, Anya. We all did. But so did Harley. It can't be helped. There's always someone who's going to be better. Right?" Alena told her sister with a small smile while placing a hand to Anya's shoulder. She was just a beginner compared to a lot of other Coordinators. She still had a lot to learn and there wasn't anything wrong with that.

"That doesn't make it okay to lose, Alena. You're supposed to be the best, but you _lost_. You're a way better Coordinator than Harley," Anya objected.

Alena sighed. "Anya, everyone wants to win. There's nothing wrong with losing every once in a while. I feel very fortunate to have battled Harley. I've learned a lot from this battle. Life isn't always about winning. You can't win at everything. Alright?"

Anya glared down at the floor angrily. Alena was making sense, but it still wasn't _fair._ She was better than Harley and she still lost. Why did she have to lose? "You're gonna beat him next time. Right?" Anya questioned.

"I'll try my best. That's all we can do. But, I'll need to start training even harder than ever," Alena hinted.

" _Good._ Because you're not losing to Harley the next time. I'll make sure to give you some of my luck next time to give you a boost. I'll give you all of it f I have to, but you're _not_ losing to anyone ever again unless they really are better than you," Anya declared before taking her sister by the hand and leading her away.

"Yes, Anya," Alena agreed, not bothering to start up an argument over this.

"When is the next Contest?" Anya questioned.

"It's in three weeks in Petalburg City," Alena answered.

"Alright. Well, you're going to need to train more. All of your Pokémon are gonna need to start taking Contests seriously. I'll help you. We'll wake up even earlier so you can get more training in. We'll even stay up all night if we have to..." Anya ordered in a stern voice. Alena shot all her Pokémon a knowing look. They all responded with varying responses ranging from patience to indifference.

**And with that, the Dewford Contest comes to a close with Harley as the victor. After suffering her first loss, Alena looks toward her next Contest in Petalburg City with hopeful eyes while Anya has a much more serious outlook. Will Anya's help and all the extra training be enough for Alena to secure her third Ribbon?**

**To be continued...**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: Alena LOST!?:O Yes my fellow PokéFans. She had to lose. We can't always win. On the brightside, Harley's learned some valuable life lessons and Alena's got three weeks to get ready for the Petalburg Contest. I'm definitely loving the dynamic I have going between Harley and Alena. Besties for life. ;)    


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: Now for the answer to the last Pokémon trivia. I count three completed cons! James nearly fell for it two more times, but he caught on in time. Seriously, what kind of a crook gets robbed blind? For your next question,
> 
> Which Pokémon has the most alternate forms?
> 
> Good luck. ;)

**It's a beautiful day for our heroes on the S. S. Tidal as they speedily make their way towards Petalburg City. Alena is doing her best to enjoy the pleasant view from the bow, but Anya has other plans...**

"In two weeks and six days, you're going to be performing with your Pokémon at the Petalburg Contest. So, to make sure that to win this time, I've come up with a whole new training schedule," Anya announced and displayed said schedule to her sister. Alena raised a brow at the bright pink schedule before smiling. "We'll wake up before sunrise to go for a jog with all your Pokémon and then we'll have a quick breakfast. Then, we'll train until lunch. We've got to work on making all your Pokémon stronger. And then after lunch we should-"

"Anya, relax. I appreciate that you're trying to help, but it's alright. There is such a thing as overtraining. You know?" Alena teased with a smile.

Anya pouted a bit before looking down at her schedule. She'd worked so hard on it and Alena wasn't even bothering to pay attention! "I'm just trying to-" Anya started, but stopped when Alena placed both hands on her shoulders.

"I know and thank you. I want you to help me. I always will, but _this_ is a bit much. Don't you think?" Alena said and gestured to the piece of paper.

"Maybe... Oh, alright. I'll get rid of the schedule. I didn't want to wake up every day at sunrise anyways," Anya said and crushed up her work.

Alena pat Anya's head before looking out towards the sea again. "Look, Anya!" Alena smiled. "I can see the port."

With excited eyes, Anya climbed up the railing (with Alena keeping a close watch) until she was slightly leaning over the top and could see the Petalburg seaport in the distance. "I see it! It's big! I can't wait to see what kind of clothes they sell in the shops there," Anya giggled.

Alena smiled at Anya's distraction from her training. It wasn't like she was planning to shirk off her training. Quite the opposite. She was going to work harder than ever to be fully prepared for the Petalburg Contest. Her Pokémon had worked so hard and she'd failed them. They were counting on her. Plus, there were so many people rooting for her. She couldn't let them down again.

Like other cities in Hoenn, Petalburg City had copious amounts of foliage sprouting amongst its buildings. Several parks were scattered about the city as well. Despite being located on the seaside, there was a distinct lack of seawater smells in the air. Upon closer inspection, Petalburg City appeared even larger than they'd first thought. There was even a smaller, sister city located just north of Petalburg!

Stepping into the cool Pokémon Center, the girls were greeted by the Petalburg Nurse Joy. Spotting the telephones along the wall, Alena said, "I'm going to make some calls, Anya."

Anya raised a brow with a knowing look. "Alright. Tell Alex that I said hi," Anya said before moving over to lounge on a couch. Alena shot Anya a surprised look, but Anya wasn't looking. As her little sister perused through one of her fashion magazines, Alena went to a vacant telephone. Sitting before the screen, Alena rubbed her arm self-consciously. How had Anya known that she had wanted to call-

" _Hello?"_

Easily pushing away her awkward feelings, Alena smiled brightly at Alex's face on the screen. "Hi, Alex. I'm glad that I caught you before you left Mauville City," Alena replied. "Oh...Um. Anya says hi, too."

~:~

" _Oh... Um. Anya says hi too,"_ Alena said in a small voice appearing slightly... nervous?

He wasn't sure what it was that was causing the light blush on her cheeks, but he decided not to bring it up for her sake. "I'm sorry about the Dewford Town Contest," Alex said with a sad smile. "Are you okay?"

" _Oh. I'm alright. I think Anya took the loss a lot harder than I did,"_ Alena replied with a shrug.

"I'm glad to hear that you're alright. Where are you now? Still in Dewford Town?"

" _No. We just made it to Petalburg City."_

"You just made it? Am I the first person you called? I'm touched, Sunshine," Alex grinned at her. At Alena's flustered response, he laughed and grinned widely.

Shooting him an unamused look, Alena spoke again, " _There's a Contest happening here in three weeks. I'm planning on doing a lot of training with all my Pokémon before then."_

"Good idea. You can never be too prepared. You should visit the Petalburg Gym when you get the chance," Alex suggested.

" _The Gym?"_

"Yeah. The Gym Leader, Norman, is one of the strongest in Hoenn. He'll help you get your Pokémon in shape. But, you don't have to go if you don't want to. It was just a suggestion," Alex offered.

" _No! That sounds great! I'll go see him. Thanks, Alex. It's great that you're looking out for me, too,"_ Alena said with a grateful smile.

This time, it was Alex's turn to flush. He chuckled sheepishly before waving her off. "What are friends for? Right?"

" _Friends. Right,"_ Anya suddenly interrupted from where she popped up behind Alena. Anya rolled her eyes with a smirk. Alena was giving her sister a look of confusion, but Anya didn't pay her any mind. " _Do you have all your Badges yet, Alex?"_

 _"_ Not yet. I'm getting my last one in Lavaridge Town. I should have it pretty soon," he answered.

" _Don't you sound confident?"_ Anya teased. " _Alena's getting her third Ribbon here in Petalburg City. I'll make sure of that. The Contest is in three weeks so make sure that you're watching."_

"I wouldn't miss it for anything," Alex replied honestly. At his words, Anya smirked once again while Alena's cheeks tinged pink.

~:~

" _I've actually got to get going. That Badge isn't going to win itself_ ," Alex smiled.

"Alright. We'll let you get back to your business," Alena said.

"Bye, Alex. Good luck at the Gym!" Anya said with a wave.

" _Bye, Anya. Talk to you later, Sunshine,"_ he said before the call ended.

"I had no idea you were so fond of Alex, Anya," Alena said to her sister.

"That's funny. I was just about to say the same to you," Anya said with a sly giggle. Before Alena could question Anya, she continued. "Don't you think that you should start training now?"

"About that, Alex suggested that we visit the Petalburg Gym. The Gym Leader there is supposed to be one of the best in Hoenn. Maybe he'll be able to give me some advice for training and battling," Alena said.

"Good idea! What are we waiting for? Let's go talk to this guy," Anya grinned before dashing towards the front door.

"Anya! Wait! Don't run off without me!" Alena said before pulling on her pack and rushing after her sister.

~:~

The Petalburg Gym was styled like a fighting dojo. Was it a Gym for Fighting type Pokémon? The girls walked into the empty Gym before calling out for anyone. Happening upon the vacant battlefield, they stopped. "Are you sure this is the right place? It doesn't look like anyone's here," Anya frowned. How unprofessional.

Before Alena could reply, a different voice spoke up. "Hey. What are you two doing in here?"

The girls turned and spotted a boy in blue robes. He had short and messy dark green hair and a frown on his face. "I'm sorry. We were looking for the Gym Leader, Norman. We didn't mean to intrude," Alena apologized.

"Norman? I'll get him for you. Just wait here," he boy said disappearing around a corner and leaving the girls alone.

"This Gym sure is different from the Fortree Gym," Anya mused and looked around the battlefield. She wasn't sure how she felt about the style of this Gym. At least it didn't smell like sweat and dirt.

"I guess each Gym is different to accommodate the different types of Pokémon found there. Winona's Gym is open and high up for the sake of her Flying types. Though I'm not sure what kinds of Pokémon are at the Petalburg Gym," Alena answered.

"Normal type Pokémon."

Once again caught off guard, the girls turned to see that the boy had returned with an older man. He was wearing a red jacket with black, vertical stripes, navy pants, and black boots. He had short, navy hair and friendly, black eyes. "Hello, there. I'm Norman, the leader of the Petalburg Gym. My assistant, Kenny, told me that you're here for a battle."

"Hello, Norman. My name is Alena and this is my sister, Anya. I actually came to your Gym for some advice," Alena answered. Norman nodded once at that. He often received requests from Trainers for advice on raising their Pokémon and winning battles. "I'm a Coordinator and I want to compete in the Petalburg Contest that's coming up, but I want to get some help before I compete. You see, I didn't do as well as I'd hoped in my last Contest."

"I see. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to help you with Contests, but I'll try my best," Norman answered honestly. Truthfully, he'd never paid much attention to Pokémon Contests until recently. His daughter had taken an interest in them and so he'd done his best to learn as much as he could about them so he could support her fully. "Is this your second time entering a Contest?"

"No, sir. This is going to be my fourth," Alena responded.

" _Fourth?"_ Norman questioned in surprise.

"Yes. I have two Ribbons right now and I want to get my third one at the Petalburg Contest," Alena replied.

"I'm almost positive now that you know more about Contests than I do. I only know the very basics," Norman frowned.

"That's alright. I was looking for help on training my Pokémon and battling with them," Alena told him.

Norman nodded once again in understanding. "Alright then. I can definitely help you there. Why don't you show me your Pokémon?" Norman suggested. He waited for Alena to release her Pokémon before peering down at them silently. It was usually very easy to determine a Trainer's battle style from the type of Pokémon they raised. Whether they favored speed, defense, or attack strength could be determined in seconds. Staring at Alena's Pokémon, he could see that her team was comprised mostly of quick Pokémon with a mix of high attack strength and finally evened out by Aron's high defense. "I think you have a decently balanced team, but we won't know for sure until we have a battle."

"A battle?" Alena parroted in uncertainty.

"Yes. A Pokémon battle is the easiest way to show a Pokémon's individual strengths, weaknesses, and character traits. It also puts the bond between a Trainer and their Pokémon on display," Norman explained. "Come on. We'll have a quick battle before we go any further."

~:~

"Are you ready, Alena?" Norman called out from his side of the battlefield.

Alena swallowed once before nodding. She wasn't a complete Rookie anymore. She'd battled dozens of people, won two Ribbons, and traveled to multiple cities. She could handle a Gym battle. Battling in front of her sister, Norman, and the referee was nothing compared to battling in front of judges and a crowd. "Grovyle, let's go!" Alena said and released her Pokémon.

"Vigoroth!" Norman exclaimed. At the sight of the large, white Pokémon, Alena took out her Pokédex.

_Vigoroth, the Wild Monkey Pokémon and the evolved form of Slakoth. Vigoroth is only comfortable going berserk. It will destroy anything in its path by spinning both arms, and goes more berserk when done._

Alena swallowed again. Vigoroth sounded like a vicious Pokémon that you didn't want to get angry. Grovyle remained completely indifferent, however. "Alright then. Grovyle, use Bullet Seed!"

"Dodge that, Vigoroth! Then use Scratch!" Norman commanded.

"Vigoroth!" Vigoroth exclaimed in a deep voice as it quickly leaped up to dodge the incoming Bullet Seed. From mid-air, Vigoroth was able to twist its body and take up the offensive. Zooming down towards Grovyle, Vigoroth's Scratch attack narrowly missed its mark.

"Your Grovyle is pretty quick on its feet. Vigoroth, use Flamethrower!" Norman commanded.

"What?" Alena exclaimed in surprise.

"Vigoroth!" Vigoroth yelled while dropping its jaw and firing a stream of burning, red flames directly at Grovyle. Grovyle was quick to dodge the attack again, only mildly surprised by this turn of events.

"Vigoroth, use Slash!"

"Grovyle, use Leaf Blade!" Alena commanded. Vigoroth's glowing claws collided with the blades on Grovyle's arms before they were locked in a stalemate. After several seconds, Alena could tell that Grovyle was losing ground in the standoff. "Grovyle, use Bullet Seed!"

"Gro-vyle-vyle-vyle!" Grovyle said as he fired off a round of close range seeds at Vigoroth's face. At once, Vigoroth backed off from the attack while clutching its face. Taking advantage of the weakness, Grovyle quickly slashed both Leaf Blades at Vigoroth's mid-section before leaping backward and out of reach.

"Way to go, Grovyle!" Anya cheered from the sidelines.

The small victory was short-lived. Vigoroth was quickly pulling itself together before it released a loud battle cry. Norman nodded once with his arms folded over his chest. "Vigoroth, use Flamethrower."

With renewed energy, Vigoroth leaped at Grovyle with a mouthful of flames. There wasn't enough time to dodge the attack this time, however. Grovyle was hit directly by Vigoroth's attack, sending him sliding away on his back. At the sight of its opponent laying on the field, Vigoroth released another battle cry.

"Grovyle, can you continue?" Alena asked her Pokémon with a worried frown. Grovyle was struggling to pull himself up, a rare show of frustrated emotion on his face. A low growl was slowly building in the back of Grovyle's throat as he glared up at Vigoroth. "If you can continue, use Pound!"

"You can still continue? I'm impressed. Your Grovyle's stronger than it looks," Norman complimented. Grovyle launched itself at Vigoroth quickly, swinging its long leaf at Vigoroth forcefully. "Stop that attack, Vigoroth."

"Vigoroth," Vigoroth grunted while clapping its large hands around the leaf that was coming towards it. Ignoring the shock on both Grovyle's and Alena's faces, Vigoroth pulled Grovyle off the ground before swinging the Grass type in a circle. "Vi...go... _roth!"_ Vigoroth yelled while simultaneously letting Grovyle go flying into the wall of the Gym.

"Grovyle is unable to battle! The winner is Vigoroth!" Norman's assistant judged. With a dejected frown, Alena recalled her Pokémon to take a rest in his ball.

"Who's next?" Norman asked.

~:~

The following battles were no better. Norman had made her battle with each of her Pokémon until none of them could continue. In the end, they'd only been able to knock out his Vigoroth. It was disappointing to say the least. After the battles, Norman had invited Alena and Anya to have a late lunch with him and his wife. His assistant, Kenny, was busy cleaning up the battlefield after the battle.

"I must say, Alena. Your Pokémon all look well-trained and cared for," Norman complimented before taking a sip from his glass of water.

"Thank you, Norman. It's just unfortunate that we couldn't beat you," Alena said.

"That's alright. I'm sure that you and your Pokémon will get strong enough to beat me easily if you keep training. Then, you'll be ready for your next Contest," Norman predicted.

"Contest?" Norman's wife, Caroline, interjected from her seat next to her husband. Caroline was a kind woman with brown hair that was styled into two, zigzagged pigtails. "You must be a Coordinator like our May."

"Yes, I am," Alena answered before she caught on. "May?"

"Yes. Do you know her? She's a beginner Trainer like you. I'm afraid she hasn't won any Ribbons as of yet," Caroline said with a small frown.

"I think we met her at the Slateport Contest," Anya answered.

"How nice. It really is a small world after all," Caroline mused with a friendly smile.

Sitting at the table with Caroline and Norman gave Alena feelings of slight discomfort. It wasn't anything that the couple was doing. Seeing the two, especially Caroline, left her spirits dampened. Caroline was just as friendly and caring as her mother had been. Anya didn't appear to be troubled in the slightest. Maybe Alena was just overreacting?

"Well, you're welcome to come visit any time you want, girls. Any friend of May's is always welcome," Caroline said.

Alena had almost wanted to turn down the offer. The idea of spending more time around Caroline wasn't too appealing. But if she was going to be spending time around Norman at the Gym, she couldn't exactly avoid his wife. "Thank you so much, Caroline. We'll keep that in mind," Alena finally answered.

~ _Three Weeks Later..._ ~

"Alright. I think I'm ready," Alena said after taking a deep breath. She stood in front of Norman, Caroline, Anya, and Kenny with an eager smile in place. As the crowd gathered around them, they remained standing in front of the Petalburg Contest Hall on the day of the Petalburg Contest.

"You'll be fine," Norman said. The Gym Leader had been so helpful to her the past three weeks. Alena and Anya had spent most of their days at the Gym, from sunrise until sunset, training and learning from the man. Norman had provided valuable advice as well as experience to Alena and her Pokémon. Alena was always quick to thank him at the end of every day as she left for the Pokémon Center with her sister.

"We'll be rooting for you, dear," Caroline said with a smile. The woman had taken the girls in with open arms from the start. She made sure to keep Anya entertained during the daytime while Alena trained. They discussed fashion, favorite Pokémon, and any little thing that they could think of.

Alena had been happy to see Anya bonding with the older woman when she couldn't. It was hard. Whenever Caroline smiled at her or offered her food, Alena could only see a mother that she could never have. It wasn't as though she longed for a mother with all her heart. She just didn't feel comfortable allowing anyone to treat her so...motherly. Nonetheless, she'd put her best foot forward and tried to act friendly towards Caroline. They'd actually been able to connect overcooking and their mutual love for their families.

"Good luck, Alena," Kenny said. After three weeks, she knew Kenny the least but he was still a good friend. Whenever Norman's advice or lessons were too complicated to understand, Kenny was always quick to provide a second (and often easier to understand) point-of-view.

"Luck!" Anya exclaimed in shock before gripping Alena's hands frantically. "I almost forgot the luck," Anya explained before vigorously rubbing Alena's hands in concentration. "There. I'm sure that I gave you all of it. You'll win for sure now."

"Thanks, everyone. I'd better get in there. See you later," Alena said before turning to enter the building.

"Let's go find our seats," Caroline suggested before resting a hand onto Anya's shoulder and leading her into the building, Norman and Kenny following after them.

~:~

Alena looked around at all the Coordinators around her but didn't spot any familiar faces. There was usually at least one person she knew competing with her. It was no big deal. She just wouldn't have to compete against any friends this time.

" _Excuse_ me."

With a surprised noise, Alena turned around to face whoever had spoken. Behind Alena, a shorter girl with long, wavy platinum blonde hair and straight bangs stood. Her icy blue eyes stared up at Alena in irritation. "I'm sorry?" Alena replied.

"You're in the way. Step aside," the girl responded in an obvious tone.

"Oh. Sorry," Alena muttered while stepping to the side. With a scoff and roll of her eyes, the girl walked away to the other side of the room. Alena raised a brow at that. There was more than enough room for the girl to have gone around...

" _Welcome, everyone, to the Petalburg Contest! I'm your MC, Vivian!"_ Vivian's voice sounded through the room from the monitors that were mounted on the walls. Every Coordinator tuned in to Vivian's words at the same time. " _Today, over thirty skilled Coordinators have gathered in order to compete for a chance to win_ this _!"_

The Petalburg Ribbon was cobalt blue with a yellow trim and had a golden, diamond with the usual golden crown atop it for the clasp. Alena smiled at the sight. She couldn't explain it, but she suddenly had a very good feeling about this Contest.

" _Petalburg Contest rules state that the Pokémon used by Coordinators in the first round must be different from the one used in the second round. And to help ensure those rules, we have our panel of esteemed judges!"_ Vivian continued before introducing the judges. While Vivian talked, Alena took a seat on a vacant bench with a slow exhale. She did feel good about this Contest, but should she? Alena had decided to use the stage at the Petalburg Contest as the debut for both Electrike and Aron. Were they ready? Could they do it?

" _You have to snap out of it_ ," Alena whispered to herself. All her Pokémon had worked incredibly hard these past three weeks with Norman. He'd taught them so much. Electrike and Aron would be fine. She trusted her Pokémon.

" _Let's have contestant number one on the stage!"_ Vivian started the Contest off with the crowd cheering loudly in excitement.

~:~

"The competition is pretty stiff," Caroline commented while her eyes remained glued on the Coordinator on stage with their Poochyena.

"I guess. None of them can even compare to Alena," Anya declared. Caroline smiled at Anya before turning back towards the action.

Grovyle and Absol were sharing the seat at Anya's left as they stared down at the stage. "Sol," Absol sighed.

"Don't worry, Absol. Alena's going to win. You'll see," Anya smiled and stroked Absol's fur soothingly.

"Our next contestant comes all the way from Goldenrod City! Please give a warm welcome to Charlotte!" Vivian introduced the girl with wavy, platinum blonde hair. She was wearing a peach, angel sleeved top with white jeans and peach ballet flats. She had a gold medallion hanging around her neck from a golden chain and matching gold bangles around her wrist.

"Flaaffy, it's time to show them some elegance," Charlotte said as she released her Flaaffy. A pink, sheep-like Pokémon with a long mane of white, wool curls appeared from the ball with an elegant pose.

"I've never seen that Pokémon before," Anya commented.

"That's not surprising. Flaaffy are rare here in the Hoenn region. It's most likely a Pokémon she brought with her from the Johto region," Norman answered Anya.

"What an elegant start! This is promising to be a great performance," Vivian said.

"Cotton Spore, Flaaffy," Charlotte commanded with a smirk.

"Flaa," Flaaffy bleated while spinning on its toes. Its wooly mane shook out and released many balls of cotton all over the field.

"Flaaffy's wool is absolutely stunning! I wonder if it's as soft as it looks," Vivian mused. The crowd 'oohed' and 'ahhed' appropriately in response. Anya rolled her eyes at all of them before pouting. It was _alright._

"Use Thunder Shock," Charlotte continued.

"Flaa-ffy!" Flaaffy bleated while yellow sparks appeared around Flaaffy's cone-shaped ears. The sparks shot out from the striped ears in all directions and lit up the many cotton balls. Every cotton spore sparkled just before exploding in a shower of sparkles. As the shower fell slowly, Flaaffy struck another pose.

"What a performance! Let's see what the judges thought," Vivian said before gesturing to the judges' table. ' _9.0', 9.2', '9.1'_ all flashed on the screens before their respective judges. "A total score of 27.3! The highest score so far!"

" _Obviously,_ " Charlotte remarked before recalling her Pokémon and leaving the stage.

Anya was fuming. That performance wasn't _that_ great. It may have looked pretty, but Alena could do better in her sleep! Who cares if that Charlotte girl had pretty Pokémon or had an amazing sense of style? Anya huffed and folded her arms angrily.

"Let's welcome our next contestant. Number 14, Alena!" Vivian announced.

~:~

Alena took a deep breath as she tried to collect her last minute nerves. The girl, Charlotte, was heading her way as she left the stage. The girl spared Alena a sideways glance before looking away with her nose in the air. Alena clutched Electrike's Pokéball and a small, colorful ball in her hands. She stepped out onto the stage to the sounds of loud cheering from the crowd. She was momentarily stunned by the loud greeting, but quickly caught herself and rushed out onto the stage. "Alright. Electrike, all eyes are on you!" Alena exclaimed before releasing Electrike from his ball.

Electrike burst out of his ball with a wide grin and his tongue lolling out the side. "Electrike! Electrike!" he barked happily at the crowd.

"You ready to play, Electrike?" Alena questioned before tossing the ball to Electrike.

"Electrike!" he barked before bumping the ball on his nose before bouncing it several times on his head. Rolling over onto his back, Electrike began bouncing his striped green and yellow ball on his tiny paws with excited barks.

"Electrike's cute and playful display has the crowd captivated and wishing that they could join in on the fun!" Vivian smiled. The people in the audience cheered loudly again, many of them laughing at the display.

"Alright, Electrike. It's time to finish up," Alena called out. Ceasing in his play, Electrike bounced the ball back to Alena before waiting for his next command with a playful expression. Alena caught the ball before commanding, "Use Thunderbolt!"

"Elec..." Electrike started, his demeanor shifting into one of serious concentration. He faced the crowd once again before allowing the electricity to build through and around him. "-trike!" Electrike finished just as the jolt of blue electricity shot up into the air like a rocket and split into several smaller jolts of electricity. The smaller jolts sparked just before exploding into a shower of blue electricity around Electrike. "Electrike! Electrike!" Electrike barked happily at the light show while dashing around quickly in a small circle.

"What a cute way to end a performance! Let's hear from our judges," Vivian said.

"Electrike was able to display cute charm as well as powerful attack strength," Mr. Contesta complimented and flashed '9.1' on his screen.

"Electrike was simply _remarkable_!" Mr. Sukizo grinned and displayed a score of '9.2'.

"I absolutely adored Electrike's playful demeanor," Nurse Joy praised with a smile and gave them a '9.3'.

"And this gives Alena and Electrike a total score of 27.6- our new high score!" Vivian exclaimed. "Let's see what our next contestant has to offer..."

Alena picked Electrike up and held him to her as she left the stage. "You were amazing, Electrike. I'm so proud of you," Alena cooed.

"Electrike!" Electrike barked happily before licking Alena's arm in thanks. Alena smiled down at him before reentering one of the locker rooms backstage to await the results.

With Electrike sitting on her lap, Alena took out a brush and began to brush his fur back into place. In the middle of brushing, someone spoke up and interrupted her. "I bet you think that you're going to win just because you got a good score."

Alena looked up to see the girl from before- Charlotte? "Um. Not really. Anyone can win, but I will try my best," Alena corrected.

"You're going to need your best if you want to beat me and my Pokémon," Charlotte said while flipping her hair back.

"I see. I'll keep that in mind. Good luck, Charlotte," Alena said with a smile. Not bothering to respond, the other girl walked away with a dignified air about her that could put Anya's to shame. Alena frowned slightly before resuming Electrike's grooming.

Charlotte steamed in silence. A proper lady didn't have temper tantrums in public. It wasn't becoming. But, boy did she want to scream right now... They gave that pipsqueak of a Pokémon a higher score than her elegantly beautiful Flaaffy? Were they _blind?_ Anyone could play with a ball and her Flaaffy's electricity put that puny Thunderbolt to shame. Charlotte glanced at the girl again. Alena, was it? That was slightly familiar. Nonetheless, she was not a big concern. Soon, the judges would reveal their decisions, she would move onto the second round, and then go on to win her fourth Ribbon. Charlotte smirked and flipped her hair again.

~:~

"And now, the judges have made their decision. These eight Coordinators will go on to the second round," Vivian said into her microphone just as the faces started to appear onscreen.

"Look! There's Alena! She's number one!" Anya exclaimed and pointed to the picture of her sister on the screen. She pointedly ignored the appearance of that Charlotte girl's face as well. Absol smiled happily while Grovyle nodded once to himself.

"How wonderful," Caroline smiled.

"Now she just has to win her battles. She should be fine," Norman said.

"Our computer is now randomly shuffling our contestants for the first matches of the second round," Vivian said and the faces started to flash.

"Alena's facing off first against that Ryan kid," Kenny commented once the faces stopped shuffling.

~:~

He should really stop eating these cookies. But they were so darn delicious (if he did say so himself). Harley closed the bowl of his homemade cookies before placing the bowl down and refocusing on the television screen before him. He got about ten seconds into the live showing of the Petalburg Contest before he snatched the container up again and popped another cookie into his mouth. But that was the _last_ one he would eat.

After the Dewford Contest, he'd caught the first boat to Slateport City. He was currently sitting in the lobby of the Pokémon Center as he waited for Nurse Joy to return his Cacturne and Banette. While he waited, he tuned into the Pokémon Contest to show his support for his newest bestie, Alena. He had to admit that watching her Electrike play had left him feeling rather warm and fuzzy inside. Her Aron, however, left him smirking devilishly as it attacked its opponent relentlessly.

" _Aron, use Metal Claw!"_

When the buzzers sounded to signal that the battle was off, Harley laughed loudly. With a smirk, he popped another cookie into his mouth. "For such a tiny thing, that Aron sure can hit hard," Harley mused.

"I know! I didn't even know that Alena had an Aron," a random girl said to Harley with a smile. She was wearing an orange dress and had her dark green hair up in pigtails. Harley raised a brow at the girl and gave her a strange expression as if to say, "who are you and why are you talking to me?" The girl seemed to miss the look, however. "Since Alena has an Aron and an Electrike, I just _have_ to go catch those Pokémon, too."

"Good for you," Harley said dryly as he ate another cookie. Couldn't this girl tell that he was busy?

"I'm Alena's biggest fan. I was in the crowd the first time she entered a Contest in Mauville City. Her Absol was _so_ cool," the girl gushed.

Harley suddenly laughed. " _You're_ Alena's biggest fan? Wait until I tell her that I met her biggest fan. She'll get a kick out of _that,"_ Harley giggled.

" _You_ know Alena?" the girl questioned in shock.

"Of course. We're _totally_ besties. I even beat her at the Dewford Town Contest," Harley bragged. The girl's jaw dropped. Harley reached for another cookie, ready to embellish a story for the young girl, but stopped when his fingers only felt crumbs. Looking down into the bowl, Harley froze up when he saw that it was completely empty. He really should watch what he ate. If he wasn't careful, he would completely ruin his figure...

~:~

"And we've finally made it to the final match of the day between Alena and Charlotte!" Vivian informed the crowd in order to rile them up. On cue, the crowd responded with loud cheers. "Five minutes are on the clock for these two, skilled competitors. Begin!"

"Aron, all eyes are on you!"

"I don't think so. My Delcatty commands everyone's attention," Charlotte disagreed and released her Delcatty. The tan and purple feline mewed once with a coy look on its face. Alena pursed her lips before pulling out her Pokédex.

_Delcatty, the Prim Pokémon and the evolved form of Skitty. Delcatty lives its life at its own pace, happy most of the time and rarely confronting other Pokémon. Even when disturbed, Delcatty will move to another spot rather than fight._

"Delcatty, use Double Slap!"

"Use Take Down, Aron!"

Delcatty charged at Aron, it's tail poised to strike, but was stopped cold by Aron colliding harshly with its front. "A-ron," Aron growled as Delcatty was pushed back roughly.

Charlotte felt her jaw drop in disbelief. That little pipsqueak had the _nerve_ to do that to her beautiful Delcatty! Well, she had something else up her sleeve for them... "Attract, Delcatty! Show them just how irresistible you are," Charlotte commanded.

"Aron, use Metal Claw!" Alena responded.

"Aron!" Aron exclaimed while charging up his attack. Delcatty winked coyly at Aron, producing a multitude of pink hearts. When the hearts flew towards Aron, he quickly slashed at them all and caused them to explode into sparkling energy. The hearts no longer a problem, Aron turned his attention on the shocked Delcatty.

"Wow! That Aron sure is a heart _breaker_!" Vivian exclaimed as Charlote's points started to drop like a rock. Charlotte rolled her eyes at the corny joke while Alena chuckled sheepishly. "What's this? It looks like that Attract actually did the trick!"

"That can't be," Alena said in shock. But the proof was right before her eyes. Aron was staring at Delcatty with pure infatuation in his eyes.

Charlotte smirked. "It wasn't the Attract. You got the better of us there, but you couldn't have known that my Delcatty has the Ability Cute Charm. All it takes is a little contact and any Pokémon would fall head over heels for Delcatty," Charlotte proclaimed with a laugh. Alena watched her points dip with a troubled frown. "Now Delcatty, use Sing!"

"Nyaa," Delcatty sang, its soothing melody putting Aron fast asleep. Aron slumped onto the field with a light snore, completely unconscious. Alena's points dipped once again, quickly catching up to Charlotte's.

"Perfect. Now, use Dream Eater!"

"Nyaa!" Delcatty exclaimed before projecting a spectral form of itself at Aron.

"Aron! Wake up!" Alena called out to her Pokémon frantically.

~:~

Where was he?

Looking around the landscape, Aron couldn't place where he was. There was a dense forest around him and he was at the foot of a mountain. Off to the side, he could see a river flowing and cutting through the grassy, forest floor. Even though he had no idea where he was, there was an even more pressing question to be answered.

Why was he so tall?

Walking over to the river, Aron peered down at his reflection. His eyes widened in surprise. He was an Aggron! When had he evolved? Where? How? Looking down at his new, black arms, he marveled at the strength he exuded. Was this his territory? Aggron looked up at his mountain with pride. But, there was something wrong...

Something was missing. But what was it?

"Aggron, there you are."

Turning, Aggron spotted Alena smiling up at him. He was far taller than her now. Seeing his Trainer, Aggron felt relief settle within him. _That's_ what was missing... "I brought you something. Ta-da!" Alena smiled and presented him with the largest bowl of iron ores that he had ever seen!

"Aggron!" he cried out happily. But before he could accept his treat, they started to disappear. With a confused frown, Aggron turned to Alena.

"Aggron?" he heard her question frantically just as she began to slowly fade away as well. With wide eyes, he watched as his forest, mountain, and Alena faded away around him. "Aggron! _Help_!"

He tried to reach out for her, but she was fading too fast. What was happening? Aggron felt despair sinking into his stomach.

" _Aron! ...Wake up!... Please wake up for me, Aron!"_

With a start, Aron sprang up on the battlefield before looking around him in confusion. It was... a dream? Looking behind him, he could see Alena staring back at him in relief. That Delcatty was smirking down at him cockily. "A- _ron_!" Aron shouted angrily with a stomp of his small foot.

"Mere seconds remain and the score is all tied up between our contestants," Vivian informed.

"What? The little pipsqueak's upset? Oh _please._ Delcatty, use Double Slap again," Charlotte commanded with a flip of her hair.

"Aron, use Iron Defense and follow up with Take Down!" Alena responded. With a hard edge to his blue eyes, Aron raised his defenses before taking off towards Delcatty like a blur.

" _Wow!_ Not only is Aron's metal coat is glittering, but its speed is impressive too! It's moving towards Delcatty like a bullet!" Vivian narrated. The Take Down had an even more damaging effect than before as Delcatty went flying across the field with a pained cry. Charlotte stared in shock. _What?_ She turned back to the small, Steel Pokémon with wide eyes.

"Alright, Aron. Let's finish this up with Earthquake!" Alena commanded.

"A-" Aron started as it raised its front legs into the air. Delcatty tried to pull itself up from the ground but was failing. " _-ron!"_ Aron finished as it stomped down onto the field. The small earthquake shook the stage completely, causing Delcatty to cry out, Charlotte to fall over onto her rear, and even unsteady Vivian.

"T-time's up!" Vivian announced as she was recovering from the aftereffects of Aron's attack. "The points are in! The winners of the Petalburg Contest are Alena and Aron!"

"Aron," Aron huffed once while glaring over at Delcatty. The feline glared back, too injured to do much else. With a final grunt, Aron rushed over to his Trainer.

"Aron, you did it! I'm so proud of- _oof_!" Alena started to say but was cut off by Aron's full-bodied tackle to her torso. She had bent down to pick him up, but his attack and knocked her off balance and onto her rear. Blinking in surprise, she inspected Aron closely. Her eyes widened when she saw that Aron was- _crying?-_ silently. Alena smiled softly. She wasn't sure what had gotten him so worked up, but she rubbed a hand along his back comfortingly.

"Thank you all for coming to this year's Petalburg Contest! We hope to see you next time!" Vivian closed out the show.

~:~

With an angry and completely frustrated growl, Charlotte slammed her temporary locker closed. She was alone in the locker room now since all of the other Coordinators had already left.

She had _lost. How_ could she have lost to some _nobody?_ Her Delcatty had been tossed around like it was nothing and her Flaaffy had been given a _second place_ score. Her prized Pokémon had lost to a couple of pipsqueaks! She was supposed to win!

The Hoenn region was supposed to be _her_ stage. She was going to compete with rare Pokémon and completely _dominate_. She'd been doing just that until that _Alena_ girl decided to ruin everything. Charlotte huffed.

How was she going to face her mother and father now that she'd lost? They'd disown her for sure! They had a reputation to keep and they very well couldn't brag to everyone they knew about her loss...

"I won't be losing to _her_ again. She got lucky. I'll beat her next time and bring the Ribbon Cup home to the Johto region and the Sinclair family where it belongs," Charlotte promised herself.

~:~

"Ta-da!" Alena said with a grin as she flashed her open Ribbon Case at the camera on the telephone.

" _That's great, Sunshine. I knew you could do it,"_ Alex praised over the phone. " _Your Pokémon looked a lot stronger, too."_

"You bet. Norman was a big help. He gave us a lot of battle practice and helped everyone learn some new moves. I'm really grateful. I'm not sure we would have had nearly as much progress without his help," Alena said while putting away her Ribbon Case with three Ribbons inside. She ran her hand along Aron's back some more with a small smile. It had been nearly impossible to get Aron to sit still long enough to pet him before, but he had been practically attached to her hip ever since his battle with Delcatty had ended. He was napping peacefully on her lap, no longer upset or crying.

" _So what's next?"_

"We're heading out for Oldale Town tomorrow morning. The next Contest is in a few weeks," Alena informed him.

" _I don't even need to wish you good luck anymore. You're probably gonna win it anyways,"_ Alex chuckled.

Alena was about to object but stopped when she heard Anya calling out to her. She turned back to the telephone screen with a small smile. "I've got to go, Alex. Caroline made a celebratory dinner for my win. I'll talk to you later," Alena said before ending the call. Aron leaped off her lap to walk towards the smells of delicious food with Alena following behind him. The two entered the kitchen and were greeted with the largest spread of food that they'd ever seen.

"Alena, have a seat. Everyone, dig in!" Caroline said with a wide smile.

**With the Petalburg Contest behind her and a new Ribbon under her belt, Alena sets her sights on the upcoming Oldale Contest. Will all the help she received in Petalburg City be enough to help her win her fourth Ribbon?**

**To be continued...**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: Over seven thousand words! I need some juice... I'm wiped out... Here's the "Alena Pokémon Update" for your convenience:
> 
> Grovyle - Pound, Leaf Blade, Solar Beam, Bullet Seed
> 
> Absol - Slash, Quick Attack, Double Team, Perish Song
> 
> Electrike - Tackle, Spark, Bite, Thunderbolt
> 
> Aron - Take Down, Iron Defense, Metal Claw, Earthquake


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: Okay. So the last chapter was the longest one to date. UNTIL NOW! 11,000 WORDS!? That's a new record for me... But I promise you, the last chapter will be SO much longer... Lol.
> 
> In this chapter, you'll maybe notice the narrator about half-way through. You can think of it as the end of the "episode" and the start of a next one. :)
> 
> And now for the answer to the last Pokémon trivia. It was the Unown! Yep. 28 different forms to it: every letter of the alphabet and the ! and ? shapes as well. For your next question,
> 
> How many Pokémon (so far) change types when they Mega Evolve?

**Today, our heroes are spending their last day in Petalburg City at the Petalburg Gym. Fresh from her win at the Petalburg Contest, Alena is facing off against Norman in one final battle.**

Caroline sat next to Anya on the short bench at the side of the battlefield. Norman and Alena faced off against each other with Kenny acting as the referee for the match. "The following will be a three-on-three match between Norman, the Gym Leader, and Alena, the challenger. The battle will follow the Petalburg Gym rules. The match will be over when all Pokémon on one side are unable to continue. You may choose your first Pokémon," Kenny announced.

"Slakoth!" Norman decided.

"Electrike, I choose you!" Alena declared.

While Slakoth stared at Electrike with a half-lidded gaze, the Electric type was growling lowly at his opponent. Small sparks of electricity discharged from his fur as he bared his small fangs. Slakoth scratched its head lazily with a claw.

"Electrike, use Bite!"

"Dodge it, Slakoth," Norman responded.

"Slakoth. Sla-," Slakoth sighed dreamily as it sidestepped Electrike's attack.

"Thunderbolt!" Alena fired back, fully expecting Slakoth to dodge the attack.

"Electrike!" Electrike shouted while firing off a jolt of blue electricity at Slakoth. Slakoth was left momentarily stunned from the attack, but soon resumed its half-lidded gaze and lazy demeanor.

"Slakoth, Hidden Power!"

"Sla-koth!" Slakoth exclaimed before charging its attack. Several, glowing balls of energy circled around Slakoth before it launched them directly at Electrike.

"Thunderbolt again!"

"Electrike!" Electrike exclaimed before firing off another bolt of blue electricity. The Thunderbolt split into multiple, smaller bolts that created an electric web that stopped the Hidden Power in its tracks. Electrike barked happily at his accomplishments with a wide, fanged grin.

"I think it's fair to say that you and your Pokémon are more than used to my battling style by now, Alena," Norman acknowledged and folded his arms over his chest.

"That's for sure. Electrike, use Spark!" Alena responded.

Slakoth waited lazily as Electrike closed in on it. Watching Electrike's speedy movements carefully, Slakoth timed its dodge perfectly. Slakoth was taken by surprise when Electrike slowed and suddenly changed his course only to make direct contact after all. Slakoth slid away on his back, electricity coursing through him. Electrike barked happily again. He was great at this battling game!

"Electrike, use Bite!" Alena commanded. With an almost threatening growl, Electrike dashed towards the stunned Slakoth.

"Slakoth, use Blizzard!" Norman tried.

Suddenly, Slakoth got up to fire a chilling wind from its mouth at Electrike. With a surprised yip, Electrike immediately skid to a stop in front of Slakoth. Slakoth's powerful, icy winds pummeled Electrike from head on, causing him to sink his claws into the field and grit his teeth as he struggled not to be blow away or frozen over. Slowly, he could feel the cold grip his paws and nose before slowly spreading up his legs and over his head. With a tiny growl, Electrike glared up at Slakoth. Suddenly, Electrike's entire body gained a bright, white glow.

"Well, what do you know..." Norman smirked.

"Electrike..." Alena gasped.

"He's evolving!" Anya cheered from her seat on the bench.

Sure enough, Electrike's tiny body grew to four times it's size (about 4' in length). Where it was green and yellow, its body was now mainly blue with a spiky, yellow mane on its head and yellow tufts of fur on its haunches and around its front feet. Manectric glared at Slakoth with it's vibrant, red eyes. Alena took out her Pokédex and scanned her new Pokémon.

_Manectric, the Discharge Pokémon and the evolved form of Electrike. Manectric has the ability to gather local electrical energy in its mane, and then discharge it, creating thunder clouds._

"That's interesting. Manectric, use Thunderbolt!" Alena commanded.

"Manectric!" Manectric shouted as he began charging his attack in his mane. In no time at all, the electricity coated his body just before he shot off a powerful bolt of yellow electricity directly at Slakoth.

"Sla..." Slakoth sighed in exhaustion as it slumped over on the field.

"Slakoth is unable to battle! Manectric is the winner!" Kenny judged.

"Manectric! Manec-!" Manectric cheered while dashing around in a circle quickly before running over to tackled Alena happily. Alena wasn't able to dodge his excited attack and they both fell to the ground roughly. With happy barks, Manectric licked at Alena's face while standing on her torso.

"It looks like Manectric hasn't changed a bit even after evolving," Caroline commented with a smile.

"Whenever you're ready, Alena," Norman spoke up while recalling his Slakoth.

Alena sat up and gently pushed Manectric off her with a smile. "Thanks, Manectric. Why don't you take a break?" Alena suggested. With an accepting nod, Manectric quickly dashed over to where Anya was sitting and sidled up next to her. Anya nuzzled Manectric happily while complimenting his new form. Alena faced Norman with a ready expression. "Absol, let's do this together!"

"Absol, huh? Alright then. Vigoroth, you're up!" Norman commented. Absol stared down Vigoroth with a critical gaze. Vigoroth had its claws poised and ready to attack. "Vigoroth, use Slash!"

"Double Team, Absol!" Alena commanded.

"Vi-go- _roth!"_ Vigoroth exclaimed and slashed its claws down at Absol. Moving quickly, Absol was able to dodge the attack by making multiple copies of herself. Growling at being deceived, Vigoroth quickly began attacking the many Absol clones angrily.

"Absol, use Quick Attack and follow up with Slash!" Alena commanded.

"Sol!" Absol cried out as she dashed at Vigoroth quickly before slashing at its back with her claws. Before Vigoroth could recover, Absol was raking her claws along its front. This went on for some time, Absol striking quickly at Vigoroth from all sides, leaving it completely helpless to the assault.

"Vigoroth, use Flamethrower now!" Norman commanded just as he spotted Absol attacking Vigoroth from the front.

"Vigo- _roth!"_ Vigoroth yelled angrily while firing its vicious Flamethrower directly at Absol.

"Use Slash once more!" Alena said with a grin. Absol leapt to the side quickly before running along the Flamethrower. Her claws glowed white as she poised to strike. The glowing claws caught the red flames and began to glow red and shine brightly. Vigoroth's attack was stopped cold by Absol's strike across its face and down it torso. "Finish up with Quick Attack!"

Just as Vigoroth was pulling itself up from the field, Absol collided with its torso roughly and sent it flying backwards into the wall of the Gym. Norman stared at Vigoroth in astonishment before recalling his Pokémon with an accepting nod. Turning back around, he spotted Alena petting Absol happily in thanks. Norman smirked before taking out Slaking's Pokéball.

"Absol, you can take a break now, too. It's Grovyle's turn!" Alena said and released her very first Pokémon. Grovyle stood on the field, appearing completely relaxed but still ready to strike at any moment's notice.

"Slaking!" Norman called out to his Pokémon. "I hope you're ready for this, Alena. It'll take more than speed to beat my Slaking."

"I know, Norman. Grovyle is more than just a fast Pokémon. I hope you and Slaking are ready because here we come. Grovyle, use Leaf Blade!" Alena commanded.

"Gro-vyle," Grovyle grunted before dashing at Slaking quickly. With quick movements, Grovyle was able to close in on Slaking within seconds.

"Block it, Slaking!" Norman exclaimed. Jutting out its wide, thick hands, Slaking attempted to grab Grovyle's dual Leaf Blades before they could hit. With a sly glint in his yellow eyes, Grovyle leaned into a slide and quickly dodged Slaking's hands by slipping between the large Pokémon's legs. Slaking's eyes widened in surprise just before it felt Grovyle slash at its legs with its Leaf Blades. Norman's jaw actually dropped at the sight of his Slaking leaning forward with a grunt of pain and Grovyle standing confidently (and completely unharmed) behind it.

"Use Bullet Seed, Grovyle!"

"Gro-vyle-vyle-vyle!" Grovyle said while firing several rounds of seeds at Slaking's back and head. Slaking slumped forward some more just as a low growl started to build in the back of its throat. With a loud cry, Slaking sprang up and began to beat on its chest angrily.

"It looks like the battle is about to heat up now," Caroline commented.

"Slaking looks really mad, but Grovyle still looks calm," Anya noticed and continued to pet both Manectric and Absol.

"Slaking, use Earthquake!" Norman exclaimed.

Slaking ceased pounding on his chest long enough to jump into the air. Despite only rising a couple feet off the ground, Slaking was able to land on the field with a large thud. Seismic waves moved throughout the field, shaking everyone up vigorously. Grovyle adjusted his stance and grounded himself firmly in response.

"Use Bullet Seed again, Grovyle!"

While the Earthquake was still in effect, Grovyle fired his attack at Slaking before dashing quickly around the other Pokémon to hit it from all sides. Grovyle was starting to resemble a green blur as he moved in a circle around Slaking. Slaking growled and grumbled as he tried to block the many seeds with his thick hands.

"Just use Hyper Beam!" Norman instructed.

"Sla-king!" Slaking yelled as it fired an orange beam in a circle around it. After several seconds, the Hyper Beam hit its marks and sent Grovyle flying backwards. With a grunt, Grovyle started pull himself up off the ground slowly.

"Grovyle, are you okay?" Alena questioned.

"Use Focus Punch!" Norman commanded. Before Grovyle could fully regain his bearings, Slaking was firing two, powerful punches at his torso and jaw and sending Grovyle flying across the field again.

"Grovyle!" Alena exclaimed worriedly while Slaking pounded its chest with a loud roar. Grovyle slowly began pulling himself onto his knees while simultaneously shaking himself out. Those attacks had taken a lot out of him, but he wasn't about to give up now. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, their looks ranging from concern to smug. Looking behind him, Grovyle shot a sharp glare directly at Slaking while his body took on a green aura. "Grovyle?" Alena questioned in confusion.

"Is it evolving?" Anya asked aloud with a brow raised.

"No. It looks like Grovyle's Ability, Overgrow, was just activated. It activates when Grovyle's endurance is running low and powers up all of Grovyle's Grass type moves. This battle's about to get interesting," Norman grinned.

Alena mulled over this information quietly. Grovyle was running out of steam, but Slaking still looked ready to go. They'd need to wrap this up quickly. Alena grinned widely. She knew _just_ how to do it. "Grovyle, use Bullet Seed!" Alena commanded.

"Gro-vyle-vyle-vyle!" Grovyle exclaimed while firing a super powered Bullet Seed directly at Slaking. The attack hit Slaking all over its front, not giving it a chance to dodge. Not relenting, Grovyle continued to fire off his attack.

"Finish up with Solar Beam!" Alena grinned. While Slaking clutched its face in pain, Grovyle went about drawing in as much solar energy as he could. There was no telling how long he had until Slaking went berserk so he'd have to work fast.

"Slaking, use Hyper Beam!" Norman fought back. Squinting its eyes against the pain, Slaking grunted before firing a Hyper Beam at the blurry image of Grovyle that it had seen.

"Dodge it!" Alena shouted. With quick movements, Grovyle ceased gathering energy and jumped into the air to dodge. Barely able to keep up, Slaking changed the trajectory of its attack. Grovyle ducked away again causing the Hyper Beam to miss and blast through the roof of the Gym. Now supplied with direct sunlight, Grovyle quickly absorbed the energy he needed. "Now! Solar Beam, Grovyle!"

"Gro- _vyle!"_ Grovyle shouted just as he fired an extremely powerful as well as colorful Solar Beam directly at Slaking. Slaking tried to block the attack with its hands, but the Solar Beam eventually pushed it back and bowled the large Pokémon over.

"Slaking is unable to battle! The winner is Grovyle and the victory goes to Alena, the challenger!" Kenny announced.

"Way to go, Grovyle! That was the best Solar Beam you've ever done," Alena complemented her Pokémon. Grovyle nodded once in thanks with his arms folded over his chest. Manectric and Absol quickly joined the two in their celebrations. "I'm so proud of you guys," Alena said and pulled all her Pokémon in for a hug. Absol and Manectric both accepted the affection readily, but Grovyle slumped in embarrassment, a light blush rising over his snout.

"Alena, I must offer you my congratulations and thanks as well," Norman said while approaching them. Alena and her Pokémon faced Norman, ready to listen to his critiques one last time. "Your Pokémon have all grown substantially since you began training with me. I'm positive that you'll do great in all your future Contests. Thank you for such an exciting battle. Although, I could have done without the hole in the roof..."

"Hey. That hole was _entirely_ Slaking's fault," Anya inputted in a warning tone.

Norman chuckled once before nodding in acceptance. "Right. How could I forget?" Norman sheepishly questioned. "I guess even Gym Leaders can mess up big time." At his embarrassment, everyone laughed together one final time.

~:~

Only hours after Alena's battle with Norman, the girls were on the road again and headed to Oldale Town. Alena was reading up on the recently-built, Oldale Town Contest Hall. Anya was inspecting a poster advertising the Contest with a puzzled frown. "Alena? What does this "R1" mean?" Anya asked and displayed the poster to her sister.

"R1 means that there is a requirement of one Ribbon to enter the Contest," Alena explained.

"Oh," Anya said. "Speaking of the Contest. Have you decided what Pokémon you're going to use yet?"

"Yep. Grovyle and I are going to do our best in the Oldale Contest," Alena informed.

Anya nodded once in acceptance. Grovyle was a good choice. Anya inspected the poster some more before folding it up and tucking it away in her bag. "After you become a Top Coordinator, what are you going to do next, Alena?"

Alena paused at the question. It was a simple enough question, but... What _would_ she do? "I... I don't know, Anya. I haven't thought about it," Alena answered.

"Well, _I_ think we should keep travelling. There's so much out there that we've never seen before!" Anya pointed out.

Alena smiled down at her sister before shaking her head slowly. "Sure thing, Anya," Alena answered fondly.

Anya was going to argue her case some more, but stopped at a welcome change in the scenery. "Alena! Look! It's Oldale Town!"

Alena's eyes widened as she took in Oldale Town for the first time. It was rather...

" _This_ is it? There's barely anything here!" Anya exclaimed in a huff.

"Well, the guide book said that Oldale Town was the second to smallest town based on population," Alena pointed out. Anya sighed dramatically at this while her shoulders slumped. "Don't get so down. Why don't we check out the Oldale Ruins while we're here?" Alena suggested.

"How about not?" Anya grumbled. And she thought that Rustboro was bad! Even a place like Rustboro City had to be better than here...

~:~

"Hello and welcome everyone! My name is Vivian and I'll be your MC for the duration of today's Oldale Town Pokémon Contest!" Vivian announced happily into her microphone for the crowd. Everyone present cheered excitedly, more than eager to start. The people of Oldale Town rarely got any excitement so the Pokémon Contest was a real treat.

"We have a wonderful show for you all today. Just twenty Coordinators have gathered today, each having already won at least one Ribbon. So you _know_ this is going to be an exciting competition," Vivian winked at the crowd. She allowed them to cheer for several seconds before continuing on, "And let's see just what they're competing for. This _stunning_ Oldale Ribbon!" Vivian said and displayed the Ribbon in her gloved hand.

~:~

She was finally going home!

Well, they were only stopping by for a visit, but she still couldn't wait. May was waiting in the lobby of the Lavaridge Town Pokémon Center, the first one to be ready to go for a change. Ash, Max, and Brock were still packing up their things before they could hit the road... The road back to Petalburg City! May barely stifled a giggle just thinking about it.

"... _My name is Vivian and I'll be your MC for the duration of today's Oldale Town Pokémon Contest_!"

May paused at the sound of that. Turning to her left, she saw a group of kids gathered around the large television that was hung up on the wall. Her curiosity piqued, May moved in closer.

" _Just twenty Coordinators have gathered today, each having already won at least one Ribbon. So you know this is going to be an exciting competition."_

May balked. She hadn't even _known_ that there was a Contest happening today! Glancing back towards the steps that led upstairs to the guest rooms and seeing no one, May decided to take a seat and watch the Contest. She only had one Ribbon under her belt so far. This would be the perfect opportunity to learn some new tricks.

" _And let's see just what they're competing for. This stunning Oldale Ribbon_!" Vivian announced and flashed the Ribbon towards the camera.

"It's _gorgeous_ ," May swooned at the violet Ribbon with pale pink trim and a golden, hourglass-shaped clasp. Staring up at that Ribbon made May take out her case to view her Ribbon- her _only_ Ribbon. If only she'd known about the Contest. She would be competing in it for sure. Then again... Ash _really_ wanted to get his fourth Badge...

" _And now, we'll start off our Contest with the first round- the appeals stage! In this round, Coordinators must show off their Pokémon's move in a graceful and elegant way! And to do so, let's start with our first contestant, Alena!"_ Vivian monologued. May balked again. Alena?

"Look! It's her!" one girl exclaimed and pointed up at the screen.

"I wonder what Pokémon she'll use this time?" a boy questioned.

"Her Electrike is my favorite. It's so cute!" another girl commented.

May stared around the room with a puzzled expression. How did all these kids know Alena? She looked back up at the screen to see Alena standing on the stage in her normal black flannel and jeans.

" _Grovyle, all eyes are on you!"_ the Alena on the television said with a grin.

May was surprised at that. Alena had a Grovyle now? Looking up at the green Pokémon on the stage, May was completely floored by how powerful and beautiful it looked. "Wow..." May said to herself.

" _Grovyle, start off with Bullet Seed!"_

Grovyle jumped into the air so fast, May initially lost sight of the Pokémon. From mid-air, Grovyle shot a Bullet Seed down at the stage and left a perfect ring of seeds glowing on the stage floors. Grovyle landed perfectly within the ring without missing a beat.

" _Now, use Solar Beam!"_

May's eyes widened. The leaf on Grovyle's head was absorbing the energy for the attack, but Grovyle's entire body had a sleek glow about it. May was mesmerized.

" _And we are witnessing the true beauty of Grass Pokémon here on our stage, folks!"_ Vivian said.

Eventually, Grovyle fired its Solar Beam at the ring of seeds, moving in a circle to hit them all. May wasn't sure what she expected to happen, but what did happen next took her by surprise. Out of each seed, a thick brown vine sprouted before intertwining with neighboring vines before growing taller and taller. When the vines stopped growing, they sprouted many leaves at their ends.

" _I don't believe it! Grovyle was able to grow its own tree right here on our stage!"_ Vivian enthused. From the middle of the vines, Grovyle appeared with another jump before leaning against the tree "trunk" with a casual pose.

May felt her jaw drop. All the vines tangled up together _did_ kind of look like a tree... "Amazing..." May whispered.

" _Now, finish up with Leaf Blade!"_ Alena commanded. With quick movements, Grovyle sliced away at the vines until nothing remained on the stage but a light shower of leaves.

" _Splendid! Let's see what the judges thought..."_ Vivian said.

" _Treecko's evolutionary line are known for making their homes in thick forests as well as tending to the trees there. I am impressed with how well you were able to show off that aspect of Grovyle's character,"_ Mr. Contesta praised and gave the performance a 9.5.

" _I loved that Grovyle was the star of the show. It was remarkable!"_ Mr. Sukizo said and gave a 9.3.

" _It was easy to tell just how much effort was put in to getting to know your Pokémon,"_ Nurse Joy said with a smile and gave a score of 9.6.

" _A total score of 28.4 points! Let's hope our next contestant will give us a wonderful performance as well,"_ Vivian said and gestured to the next Coordinator coming onstage.

"Wow. Twenty-eight point four," May said to herself.

"What'd you say, May?"

Exclaiming loudly in shock, May turned quickly to see who was behind her. She relaxed when she saw that it was just Max, however. "Geez, Max. You nearly gave me a heart attack," May sighed.

Ignoring what she said, Max turned to the screen. "You're watching a Pokémon Contest?" he questioned.

"Yeah. It's happening right now in Oldale Town. I just saw Alena's performance," May commented.

"Alena? Didn't she beat you in the Slateport Contest?" Max inquired innocently enough. May held back a growl as she glared down at her brother. Missing his sister's murderous glares, Max went on to say, "No, wait. You lost to Drew in the second round. Alena beat Drew in the Contest."

"Thank you, Max. I'd almost forgotten," May grumbled.

"So how's she doing anyways?" Max questioned.

"She got a 28.4 in the appeals round. Her Grovyle was incredible," May admitted.

Max was stunned. " _28.4_! Her Treecko must have evolved," Max commented. "Wow. She's really good."

May frowned a bit as she lost herself in thought. Both Alena and Drew were such amazing Coordinators. If she wanted to be able to compete with them, she'd have to really work hard.

"Who's really good?" Brock's voice spoke up suddenly.

May and Max turned to see Brock, Pikachu, and Ash standing to their side and ready to go. "We were watching the Oldale Contest. Alena's competing and she's got the best score in the first round," Max informed them. At once, the boys shot concerned looks at May before looking to the screen.

"You should have seen her Grovyle. It was so fast and strong. And she showed off her Pokémon in a way I never would have thought of," May commented.

"Do you want to stay and watch the rest of the Contest?" Brock questioned. Ash looked ready to argue (most likely about his next Gym battle in Petalburg), but Brock stopped him with a serious look. Ash closed his mouth slowly and stood back.

"Yeah. I'm going to have to face her again. I should probably know more about what I'm up against," May replied.

" _And that's it! The results are in and these eight Coordinators will be moving on to the final stage!"_ Vivian's voice interrupted them. Everyone in the room turned back to the screen in time to see the faces start appearing with Alena's showing up first. " _Our computer will randomly shuffle the competitors for the second round!"_

~:~

She had actually made it past the first round. Charlotte let out a dignified "humph". "Dumb luck smiles at even those on the lowest rung of the social ladder," she proclaimed from where she sat in front of the television in her hotel suite. She would have been competing in the Oldale Contest, but she was currently in Kanto getting ready to compete in the Wallace Cup. And _everyone_ knows that a win at the Wallace Cup was worth more than some little Ribbon from Oldale Town...

" _For the first match on our stage, we have Alena facing off against Kimberly!"_

Charlotte smirked before picking up her tea cup for a sip of her steaming, chamomile tea. "She'll get knocked out before the time's even up," Charlotte predicted. As the match wore on, however, it was appearing to be increasingly one-sided. After about three minutes, Alena had twice as much points as her opponent. Charlotte glared at the television screen.

" _Grovyle, use Solar Beam!"_ Alena commanded with a grin. Her Grovyle shot off a Solar Beam that was dazzling as well as powerful at the opposing Umbreon.

" _And it's battle off! Alena and her Grovyle will proceed to the next stage!"_ Vivian announced.

Charlotte growled lowly before taking a deep breath to relax. Despite having no class or refinement and lacking any remarkable traits, Alena was a decent Coordinator. "I suppose she'd make a decent rival. So far, my talents have been unparalleled. I could use a good challenger. For her sake, her luck better not run out too soon," Charlotte smirked with a laugh.

~:~

" _And we've made it to our final stage, folks! We have Alena facing off against David! With five minute on the clock, let the match begin!"_ Vivian announced. Everyone in the Pokémon Center were paying close attention to the screen before them, unable to blink or else they'd miss something important. May was alternating between clenching her hands and wringing them out. Max, Ash, and Brock were all watching with critical eyes.

" _Grovyle, all eyes are on you!"_

_"Ninetales, you're up!"_

"A Ninetales, huh? Based on type, Alena's at a huge disadvantage," Max commented.

"Type isn't everything. We'll have to see how she deals with this," Brock remarked.

" _Ninetales, use Flamethrower!"_ David commanded.

" _Dodge it, Grovyle!"_ Alena said. Grovyle jumped into the air quickly to dodge the stream of red flames and remained in the air for several seconds. " _Use Bullet Seed!"_

" _Use Fire Blast on those seeds!"_ David said with a smirk. " _Now, use Quick Attack!"_

Ninetales rushed at Grovyle, but the Grass type didn't bat an eye. At the last second, Grovyle was able to smoothly dodge the attack and cost David some points. " _Leaf Bade!"_ Alena yelled. Grovyle's green blades sliced at Ninetales' torso before pushing it away. " _Use your Pound Attack!"_

 _"And Grovyle is quickly taking control of the battle! Its speed is a bit too much for Ninetales to handle,"_ Vivian declared.

" _Ninetales, use your Flamethrower!"_ David commanded. Caught off guard, Grovyle didn't have enough time to dodge the oncoming flames and received a direct hit to his front. " _Good work. Use your Fire Blast again!"_

 _"And Ninetales' flames are really turning up the heat for both Grovyle and Alena. How will she fare out with only three minutes left?"_ Vivian questioned. Grovyle was on the ground and was struggling to cope with the pain.

"This looks bad. If Grovyle takes any more damage, it'll all be over," Brock commented.

David smirked. " _This win is as good as ours. Ninetales, use Sunny Day!"_

At the same time that Brock gasped in surprise, Alena's eyes widened. "He shouldn't have done that..." Brock mused and folded his arms over his chest.

"What do you mean?" May questioned.

"Sunny Day is a move that increases the power of Fire type moves, but it can do more than that," Brock said cryptically. The amount of light on the stage had increased despite being indoors. Ninetales seemed to have an ethereal glow about it causing Alena's points to drop.

" _Ninetales, finish up with Flamethrower!"_

 _"Try to dodge it, Grovyle!"_ Alena urged him. With a final jump, Grovyle was able to quickly dodge the attack before facing off against Ninetales with a glare. While he panted heavily, a green aura overtook his form.

" _What's this? It looks like Grovyle's Overgrow has been activated! This match has everyone at the edge of their seats in suspense!"_ Vivian exclaimed.

"Overgrow?" May questioned.

"It's Grovyle's Ability. When it's endurance is low, Grovyle is able to muster up the last of its energy to power up its Grass type moves," Brock explained. May stared at the weakened, glowing Grovyle in amazement.

" _Let's take advantage of all this sunlight, Grovyle. Use Solar Beam!"_ Alena grinned.

" _Gro...vyle!"_ Grovyle exclaimed before firing off the largest Solar Beam they'd ever seen. The blast tore at the field before colliding with Ninetales in a loud explosion. The blast sent Ninetales flying off the field and into the judges table behind David. Glancing down at Ninetales, the judges wasted no time in coming to a decision.

" _And that's battle off! The winners are Alena and her Grovyle!"_ Vivian proclaimed to the cheering audience.

"Wow. I've never seen a Solar Beam so powerful," Max commented in awe.

"She really took advantage of that Sunny Day and Grovyle's Overgrow. All that sunlight made it so that Solar Beam wouldn't need time to charge," Brock commented. "She timed that attack perfectly."

May turned back to the screen in time to see Alena and Grovyle be presented with their Ribbons. " _Congratulations Alena and Grovyle! Having won the Oldale Ribbon, this brings Alena's total Ribbon count up to four! She only needs one more to qualify for the Grand Festival!"_ Vivian informed everyone who was listening.

" _Four_ Ribbons!" May exclaimed in shock. Ash, Max, and Brock were stunned as well. They all watched the screen for a few more seconds before turning to May. "Now I _know_ that I have to work harder... I've just _got_ to..." May promised herself, her eyes focused intently on the screen

~:~

" _Four Ribbons... Wow. I'm so proud of you, sweetheart,"_ Isaac said with a smile over the telephone.

Alena sat with Anya next to her and all her Pokémon around her. After her win at the Oldale Contest, she was quick to begin calling. She'd already spoken to Harley, Winona, Alex, Norman, and Caroline. "Thanks, Dad. We've all been working super hard," Alena smiled.

" _I could tell. Grovyle's last Solar Beam looked really powerful and pretty. All of your Pokémon look very strong."_

"That's because I help take care of them," Anya inputted proudly. "Every day I brush Manectric's and Absol's fur, polish Aron's shell, and wax Grovyle's scales. I even help Alena make their PokéBlock and Pokémon food."

" _That's great, sweetheart. You're learning a lot about Pokémon, huh?"_

 _"_ Yep! I've seen so many different things, Dad. I love travelling with Alena and I want to keep doing it forever!" Anya smiled brightly.

Isaac grinned back over the telephone screen before saying, " _Don't forget that you've got to come home sometime."_

Anya frowned at him. " _Dad,_ why would we want to go home?"

Sensing where this conversation was heading, Alena butted in quickly. "I saw on the Contest Committee website that the next Contest will be held in Verdanturf Town in one week, Dad. I'm gonna enter it and try to win my fifth Ribbon."

" _That's great, sweetheart. I'll be rooting for you and all your Pokémon. I know that you'll be great,"_ Isaac praised.

"Manectric!" Manectric barked happily before moving closer to the telephone screen and licking the image of Isaac's face.

" _You're welcome, Manectric,"_ Isaac said with a chuckle. " _I'll talk to you girls soon."_

"Bye, Dad," Alena smiled and ended the call.

"Dad must be crazy if he thinks that we're gonna go home now," Anya said.

"Anya, don't you miss Dad? We have to go home eventually to visit him," Alena pacified. At Anya's pouting, Alena shook her head fondly. "Why don't you watch my Pokémon for me while I do some shopping? We have to leave first thing tomorrow morning if we want to make it on time for the Verdanturf Contest."

"Well, alright. The faster we get out of Oldale Town, the better. I bet Verdanturf is huge and has at least twenty different clothing stores!" Anya giggled happily. Alena shook her head again before leaving Anya alone with her Pokémon.

~:~

**Fresh from the Oldale Contest, our heroes are already on their way towards the next Contest in Verdanturf Town. There was no time to waste if they were going to make it in time for Alena's next Contest appearance.**

"There it is! _Finally_! I see Verdanturf Town!" Anya exclaimed. "Can you believe it, Alena? You're about to win your fifth Ribbon," Anya smiled in excitement.

"We haven't even made it to Verdanturf town yet, Anya. Don't count your Torchics before they hatch," Alena reminded.

Anya gave her sister a confused expression. "What does hatching eggs have to do with this? Whatever. Just make sure you do your best in the Contest," Anya finished.

Alena was content to just think about her upcoming Contest. She could win her fifth Ribbon. The Grand Festival was still a long way away from now, she would have to find something to do to occupy her time until then. Of course, she would continue to train and practice with her Pokémon. But where? She could easily go to Rustboro City to spend the time with her father in their new home, but Anya was completely against that idea. Maybe she could go back to Fortree City to train with Winona or even Petalburg to train with Norman? Alena frowned at that. Norman and Winona were both Gym Leaders with jobs to do. It wouldn't be right to ask them to drop their responsibilities to tend to her.

She would have to train on her own (with Anya's help of course). That wouldn't be so bad. She'd already learned so much about taking care of her Pokémon that training on her own should be a breeze. Besides, she would have to learn to stand on her own, two feet some time.

"Alena! Come _on_!" Anya yelled from where she stood several feet ahead of her sister.

Alena snapped out of thought immediately before jogging after her sister. "Coming!"

As the girls were walking into Verdanturf Town for the first time, they couldn't help but be taken in by the luxurious neighborhoods and urban centers around them. Anya cheered happily before spinning around once in glee. "Verdanturf Town is so pretty! Why couldn't Dad get a job here instead? It's _great!"_ Anya said with a wide smile.

"It is a pretty town. What should we do first? Head over to the Pokémon Center, do some sightseeing, or go register for the Contest tomorrow?" Alena suggested.

"I want to see the entire town. If we pass by the Contest Hall, you can register then," Anya decided. With an accepting nod from Alena, the girls were off.

Verdanturf Town was a peaceful town with the cleanest air that the girls had ever smelled. The town was buzzing with energy. This was most likely due to the Contest happening tomorrow. Many people were carting around merchandise to be sold while others were chatting excitedly about the Contest.

" _Whoa_. That's a huge hotel," Anya commented while staring up at a large resort building. With hopeful eyes, Anya looked up at Alena and asked, "Alena, can we stay here instead of at the Pokémon Center? _Please?"_

"Anya, why would we stay here when the Pokémon Center is offering rooms for free. I'm sure that a resort like this has got to be pretty expensive," Alena said with a frown.

"But didn't Dad send more money? We can afford it," Anya argued.

"Sure we can. If you don't mind not eating for a week," Alena said in a knowing tone with a raised brow.

Before Anya could reply, the sound of a loud explosion met their ears just before they saw the explosion several feet away. "It's coming from over there!" Anya exclaimed. "What do you think it is?"

"A Pokémon Battle?" Alena guessed. Not wasting another second, Anya quickly turned and ran towards the sound. "Anya! Wait!" Alena called out after her sister. With a sigh, Alena quickly trailed after her sister.

The explosion had come from a Pokémon battle. On a small strip on dirt at the foot of a cliff behind the resort, a boy wearing a cloak and weird mask was battling with a Pokémon Anya had never seen before. Whatever Pokémon it was, it gave Anya the creeps. The masked boy was battling against another boy with a Roselia. "Hey, it's Drew!" Anya exclaimed in surprise.

Alena had just caught up to her sister in time to hear the exclamation. Alena quickly took in the Trainers battling only to see Drew battling with his Roselia against a boy in a mask. "Who's that Pokémon?" Alena questioned while pulling out her Pokédex.

_Dusclops, the Beckon Pokémon and the evolved form of Duskull. Dusclops is said to be able to suck practically anything into its body. The black hole-like core of which is completely empty._

"It's creepy looking," Anya mused.

"Alena? What are you doing here?" Drew questioned, now distracted from his battle.

"Alena? I've heard of her," the masked boy said. "She's supposed to be a really talented Coordinator."

Alena blushed heavily at the masked boy's words. "I don't know if "talented" is the word I'd use," Alena chuckled sheepishly.

"I should probably finish up my battle first. Dusclops, use Shadow Punch!" the masked boy commanded.

"Clops!" the Pokémon yelled before firing two, shadowy punches at Roselia. Upon further inspection, Alena could see that Roselia was looking worse for wear. Was Drew losing?

"Now finish it up with Will-O-Wisp!" the masked boy continued. Alena gasped when she saw those blue, flaming balls strike Roselia before sending it flying backwards with a spin. Roselia didn't look like it would be getting back up again. "With the reputation that you have, I thought you would have been more of a challenge, Drew. Oh well."

Suddenly, a wild wind picked up and scattered many dead leaves around the field. Drew, Anya, and Alena all covered their eyes and braced themselves against the sudden wind, but it didn't last long. As quick as it came, it was gone along with the masked Trainer.

"What just happened?" Anya questioned with a puzzled blink of her eyes.

"Roselia," Drew called out to his Pokémon before taking it into his arms and cradling its unconscious form to his body.

"Drew, is Roselia alright?" Alena questioned before looking down at the injured Pokémon. Roselia was breathing harshly from Drew's arms, its eyes squeezed shut in pain.

"No. I've got to get to the Pokémon Center," Drew said before leaving and clutching his Pokémon to his chest. Anya and Alena followed after him with identical, worried looks.

Alena was still trying to process this turn of events. She'd never seen Drew lose (to someone that wasn't her). Even then, he'd never lost _this_ badly. Just who _was_ that masked Trainer? Did he have something out for Drew? Before Alena could ask anything, Anya spoke up first. "Who _was_ that guy, Drew? He looked pretty tough."

"He calls himself "Phantom". He's a Coordinator, too," Drew answered.

" _Phantom?"_ Anya repeated in a dubious tone before scoffing. "Lame..."

"His name may not be much, but his battling skills are top notch. I think he's competing in the Contest tomorrow," Drew said just as they made it to the Pokémon Center. "Nurse Joy, my Pokémon needs help."

Alena and Anya stood back as Drew talked to Nurse Joy. Alena was nibbling on her fingernail not only in worry for Drew and Roselia, but for herself and her Pokémon as well. If that Phantom was a competing in the Contest tomorrow, he would be a real challenge for her. After seeing what he did to Roselia, maybe it would be best not to compete. No need to put her Pokémon through that...

"Drew! Alena! I didn't know you two would be here."

Drew, Alena, and Anya turned at once to see May and her friends approaching them. May was smiling brightly at them before saying, "You must be competing in the Contest as well."

"I was, but not anymore. Roselia won't be well enough to compete tomorrow," Drew said. Alena frowned sadly at him.

"What happened?" May questioned in a worried tone.

"It got hurt in a battle," Drew answered simply. Leaving Roselia in Nurse Joy's care, Drew turned to leave. "You all should look out for the masked Trainer calling himself "Phantom," Drew said as he left.

"Phantom?" May questioned.

"That's the Trainer who put Roselia in the hospital. He's pretty strong, but his Pokémon's totally creepy. Come to think of it. The boy's kind of creepy, too. Plus, he's got the _worst_ taste in fashion that I've ever seen," Anya said in a know-it-all tone while folding her arms. May and her friends gave Anya their full attention before looking around at each other in worry.

"So, are you still competing tomorrow, Alena?" May questioned after some time.

Before Alena could answer, Anya butted in. "Of course she is. Phantom or not, my sister's gonna beat him and get her fifth Ribbon."

"How have your Contests been going, May?" Alena questioned, wisely deciding not to acknowledge Anya's claims.

Suddenly, May appeared rather nervous and fidgety. " _Me?_ My Contests. Oh! They're fine! Don't worry about me!" May said with a sheepish chuckle.

"That's good to hear. Can I see which Ribbons you have?" Alena asked. "I'll show you mine," she went on while taking her Ribbon case out of her bag.

Peering down at the open case, May's eyes widened at the four Ribbons sitting neatly inside. " _Wow,"_ May whispered in awe. She'd already known that Alena had won four Ribbons, but to see them...

"You remember the Slateport Ribbon? I got the Mauville, Petalburg, and Oldale Ribbons to go along with it," Alena said with a smile before tucking away her case. "What about you? I'd love to see what Ribbons you've got."

"Ribbo _n._ Singular," Max corrected in a dry tone.

" _Max,"_ May pleaded in embarrassment. She couldn't even look Alena in the eye. With a sigh, May took out her case to show her only Ribbon- the Fallarbor Ribbon. She'd been so proud of her first Ribbon at first. But now...

"That's so pretty! Congrats, May," Alena said with a smile.

May snapped up in surprise. "What?" May questioned.

"I said, congrats on your Ribbon. You must have worked hard to get it. I know your Mom and Dad must be proud of you. You were all they could talk about when we were spending time at your Dad's Gym," Alena said.

"You met my parents?" May questioned in surprise.

"You got to hang out at Dad's Gym!?" Max exclaimed incredulously.

"You _bet_ ," Anya interjected in a superior tone. "Norman was nice enough to help Alena get ready for the Petalburg Contest. Alena was even able to beat him in a three-on-three battle, too. If she was even into Gym battles, Alena'd already have the Petalburg Gym Badge by now," Anya bragged.

Everyone's eyes widened at that. " _No way!"_ the boy with the Pikachu on his shoulder- Ash?- said suddenly. "You beat Norman?"

"There's _no way_ you could beat my Dad," Max argued vehemently.

"Is _so_! Alena won fair and square! She knocked out all of Norman's Pokémon without losing any of her Pokémon!" Anya argued back at Max. Max glared angrily at Anya while she returned the glare ten fold. " _And_ Alena's gonna wipe the stage with May, too!"

"Nuh _uh!_ My sister's gonna beat your sister!"

" _My_ sister's a way better Trainer _and_ Coordinator than _your_ sister!"

"No, she's not!"

"Yes, she is!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yuh huh!"

"Nuh _uh_!"

"Yuh _huh_!"

Alena shot May a frantic and slightly apologetic look before pulling Anya back by her shoulders. "It was nice seeing you again, May. I'm gonna go get registered for the Contest. See you later," Alena rushed before pulling Anya away in the middle of her shouting match.

Despite Alena tugging her away by the hand, Anya kept her fierce glare on Max. The boy had the _nerve_ to pull down an eyelid and stick out his tongue at her with a complementary, " _Nyeh_!" After releasing a shocked gasp, Anya quickly returned the favor by blowing a raspberry at the boy before turning around quickly with a loud, " _Humph!"_

"Things sure are heating up..." Brock commented with a nervous chuckle and a sweatdrop forming.

~:~

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the Verdanturf Town Pokémon Contest! I'm your host, Vivian, and it's my pleasure to be here today!"

Anya was sitting next to Drew in the stands of the Verdanturf Contest Hall the very next day. Drew was quietly watching the proceedings, but Anya was fidgeting angrily in her seat. After feeling Anya's leg bump into his for the sixth time in the past five minutes, Drew shot the younger girl a questioning look. "What's eating you?" Drew asked.

"Alena _has_ to win! She has to beat May," Anya answered.

"Should I even ask why?" Drew drawled.

"May's stuck up, immature, loud, rude, little brother had the nerve to say that May's better than Alena! _As if!_ Alena's got _four_ Ribbons and May only has _one!_ Alena's _obviously_ better," Anya huffed.

Drew didn't bother to respond to that. It was true that Alena was good- _really_ good. But, May wasn't too bad either. If he had to choose, he would definitely pick Alena to win in a battle against May. But that didn't mean that May couldn't pull a win out of nowhere with a bit of luck.

"Let's bring out our first contestant! Coordinator number one: Jesslana!" Vivian said into her microphone as she gestured behind her at the waiting Coordinator.

Anya frowned down at the woman. Was she a foreigner? Her outfit screamed foreigner. Either that or _blind._ Her Pokémon wasn't too appealing to look at either. A Dustox? "That Dustox's eyes are creeping me out," Anya said.

"It's been decently cared for," Drew commented and folded his arms over his chest.

When the judges gave the violet-haired woman a score of 28.5, Anya shrugged carelessly. Drew didn't comment, but Anya hadn't expected him to. Drew was a pretty reserved boy. The two didn't offer anymore words between them until it was May's turn to grace the stage. Anya leaned forward in her seat to watch Mays move critically while Drew sat back with a smirk.

"Alright! Skitty, use Blizzard!" May commanded from the stage. Drew smiled softly at May's confident appearance. She was faring much better than she had the last time he'd seen her. His smile fell when Skitty's Blizzard ended before it began.

"Did she just call for a move that her Pokémon doesn't even know?" Anya questioned with a roll of her eyes. Drew decided not to respond. Anya probably would have felt a little bit sympathetic towards May after she received a score of 24.9. That is, if she weren't completely rooting for Alena.

"And now our next contestant: number 22! Let's welcome, Alena!" Vivian introduced.

"You can do it, Alena!" Anya cheered loudly. Drew watched Alena critically with his arms folded over his chest. He was curious to see just what she would do.

"Aron, all eyes are on you!" Alena said and released her Pokémon. Aron sprang out of his ball with a happy cry before landing on the stage with a slight thud. "Use Iron Defense!"

"A-ron!" Aron exclaimed just before his body gained a blue outline. With a stomp of his tiny feet, the blue faded and gave rise to a sleek shine.

"Look at that! Aron's entire body is shining under the lights! It looks absolutely stunning!" Vivian said.

"Alright, use Metal Claw and then follow up with Earthquake!" Alena said.

"Aron!" Aron shouted before jumping high into the air. While still above the stage, Aron charged up both of his front legs until they were glowing brightly. With a cry, Aron started to spin down towards the stage with his glowing legs extended out in front of him.

"And now Aron is speeding down toward the stage like a dazzling drill!" Vivian narrated. The second Aron's legs hit the stage, seismic waves rolled and spread out around him. Everyone in the Contest Hall shook in place for several second just before the earthquake ceased. "Wow! For such a small Pokémon, Aron sure can rock the house! Let's see what the judges thought... 26.8!"

"Not bad," Drew commented with a smirk.

"Alena's got more where that came from. She's gonna win this thing," Anya declared.

~:~

Alena waited backstage as the last of the first round contestants finished up. Aron was happily eating some iron ores next to her, not bothering to acknowledge any of the other Trainers. Looking over to her right, Alena spotted May sitting alone. With a small smile, Alena went over to her. "Hey, May. What's up?"

"Oh, I'm just nervous about the results. I totally let my nerves get the best of me and we lost some major points because of it. I'm not sure I'll make it to the next round," May said.

"You have to be a little more confident in yourself. Your score was still pretty good. You should relax. You were worried about your nerves getting the best of you, but you're still letting them do that," Alena said.

May stared up at Alena in surprise before taking a deep breath. "You're right, Alena. I have to be confident and believe in my Pokémon. Thanks. I needed that."

" _And the judges have made their decision! These four contestants will be moving on to the final round!"_

Both girls turned to look at the screen at the same time. Friends or not, this was still a competition. " _The four Coordinators moving on to the second round are Jesslana, the Phantom, Alena and May!"_ Vivian said.

Before Alena could congratulate May, someone else was already calling out to her. "You made it May! We're gonna be competing in the finals!" a boy said. He was wearing some black cape and suit with a light purple bow tie. He had short, brown hair and brown eyes. Alena couldn't recognize him, but his voice was familiar. Come to think of it, he was dressed just like the Phantom...

"Way to go, May!" May's friend, Ash, congratulated her.

Alena stared at the Phantom in surprise. He didn't look anything like she'd expected. Why did he even bother wearing a mask and having a secret identity if he was just going to walk around without it anyways?

" _The matchups for the second round are as follows: May will battle the Phantom while Alena will face off against Jesslana!"_

"It's you and me for the first match, Timmy," May said to the boy in the Phantom costume. Alena blinked curiously. Timmy?

"You bet, May. No matter what, friends till the end. Right?" the Phantom- er, _Timmy-_ replied.

"Good luck, Alena. Jesslana is really good, but I know you can beat her," May said to Alena.

"Thanks, May. Good luck to you, too," Alena replied and shook hands with May.

~:~

" _The first match of the second round is now set to begin! On one side, we have May! On the other is the Phantom,"_ the Vivian on the screen said. Alena was watching the match with Aron at her side. Across the room, the only other occupant in the locker room was her opponent, Jesslana. The two didn't speak to each other and barely acknowledged the other's presence. Alena had tried to make conversation, but Jesslana had snubbed her and dubbed her an inferior Coordinator and "not worth her time". Alena didn't try to speak with Jesslana again after that.

" _And May's Skitty uses Assist to produce a powerful Gust!"_ Vivian said. Assist? Pulling out her Pokédex, Alena quickly looked up the unfamiliar move.

_Assist is a Normal type move that randomly chooses a move among those known by other Pokémon in the Trainer's party._

Alena pursed her lips in thought. It randomly chooses moves? That seemed a bit risky. Assist seemed like a move that could easily backfire.

" _And this time, Assist produces an Ember attack!"_

"Aron, we better stay on guard. That Assist looks like it could give us a bit of trouble. It's so unpredictable, we have to be prepared for anything," Alena told Aron.

"Aron," Aron agreed with a nod.

"Oh _please._ You'll have to beat me first if you want any hope of moving on. But don't bother, you won't win," Jesslana scoffed.

"Aron!" Aron objected with a stomp of his leg.

Alena reached down to pat and rub Aron's shell soothingly. "It's okay, Aron," Alena said to her Pokémon before turning to Jesslana. "It's too soon to declare yourself the winner. Don't you think?" Alena questioned with a frown.

"As if that pipsqueak could even compare to my beautiful Dustox," Jesslana scoffed with a loud laugh. Alena frowned angrily, but held her tongue. She wasn't one to trade nasty words with others. It made her uncomfortable to be rude or disrespectful to anyone. After taking a deep breath, Alena withdrew her Pokémon and turned to leave the room. Jesslana's laughter trailed after her and only served to raise her frustration.

" _And it's battle off! May and her Skitty will proceed to the next round!"_ Alena heard Vivian's voice say over the loud speakers. " _Let's have our next contestants on stage."_

"Alright then. Let's show everyone what you can do, Aron," Alena said and made her way towards the stage.

~:~

"And five minutes are on the clock for the second match between Alena and Jesslana. Who ever wins this battle will go on to face May in the finals. And, begin!" Vivian said.

"Dustox, let's show this child what real grace and beauty looks like!" Jesslana said and released her Dustox.

"Aron, all eyes are on you!" Alena said and released Aron. Dustox flew above the field, its scales shimmering under the stage lights while Aron glared up at the Bug type. "Aron, use Iron Defense!"

"Dustox, use Whirlwind!" Jesslana commanded. From his place on the field, Aron let his defenses spike before grounding himself thoroughly onto the stage. With defiant eyes, he glared up at Dustox. Jesslana balked. "Use Whirlwind full force, Dustox!" Jesslana tried. Dustox kicked up the force behind its attack, the winds increasing from a slight Whirlwind to a wild torrent. Aron remained unmoved, however.

"And Dustox's Whirlwind has no effect on Aron. Like a mountain, Aron is standing firm. This is costing Jesslana some major points!" Vivian said.

Jesslana growled. "Try this on for size then. Dustox, give them a taste of your Poison Sting!"

"Stay put, Aron," Alena commanded. With another stomp of his leg, Aron grounded himself once again. Jesslana grinned to herself, but the grin fell when the poisonous needles struck Aron's shell harmlessly before breaking into dust. "Aron is part Steel type. Poison type moves won't have any effect on him. Aron, use Metal Claw!"

"A-ron!" Aron shouted just before leaping at Dustox quickly. With a glowing leg, Aron struck Dustox down onto the stage.

From across the stage, Jesslana exclaimed loudly in shock. "Dustox, get up and use Psybeam!"

"Take Down, Aron!" Alena yelled.

"Look at that speed! Aron has taken off towards Dustox like a charging Tauros! I'd hate to be the one to get on Aron's bad side..." Vivian said. Aron collided with Dustox's injured form and sent it flying into its Trainer. Dustox and Jesslana were sent flying from the stage less than gracefully. The judges didn't waste any time to disqualify the unconscious Pokémon and Trainer. "Tough luck for Jesslana. Alena will be the one to face May in the final round!"

~:~

May was shaking. She tried to suppress the reaction, but it was hard. She was facing off against Alena for the first time. Alena's Aron was such a powerful Pokémon. Was it one of the Pokémon that beat Dad's Pokémon without any problem? May swallowed as she stared at Alena from across the stage. Aron was glaring harshly at her Skitty, but Skitty was smiling obliviously. Taking a deep breath, May got ready.

"Five minutes are on the clock. Begin!"

"Skitty, use Blizzard on Aron!" May commanded.

"Earthquake, Aron!" Alena fired back.

"Nyah!" Skitty exclaimed and fired a Blizzard from its mouth. Before the attack could hit, Aron struck down onto the field harshly to produce a powerful earthquake. The rough vibrations caused Skitty to stop in the middle of its attack and wobble in place. May's points dipped.

"Now use Take Down!" Alena said.

"Use Assist quick, Skitty!" May shouted. From its paw, Skitty produced a quick String Shot attack. The sticky fibers wrapped around Aron's body and quickly ensnared him. With a jerk, Aron came to a screeching halt and fell onto his face. May grinned. "Now use Blizzard again!"

"Aron looks like its it serious trouble! It can't break free from that String Shot and it's taking some serious damage from that Blizzard attack!" Vivian narrated.

Ignoring the crowd's excited cheers, Alena focused on Aron. "Aron, can you use Metal Claw to cut yourself out?"

"A...ron," Aron tried, but struggled. The winds were so cold that the String shot was even freezing over. With a shocked grunt, Aron noticed his body freezing over.

"Aron's entire body has frozen over on the stage! This looks like the end for Alena. Only two minutes remain..." Vivian said.

"Aron, can you hear me? Can you get out of there?" Alena called out frantically to Aron.

"Way to go, Skitty!" May cheered. She might just actually win this one...

" _What's this!?"_ Vivian exclaimed. Everyone quieted as Aron's frozen form stared to grow brightly on the field. From within the ice, Aron glittered like a chandelier for several seconds before the ice shattered to reveal a brand new Pokémon.

"Lairon!" he exclaimed in a fierce tone. With amazed eyes, Alena took out her Pokédex.

_Lairon, the Iron Armor Pokémon. Lairon is the evolved form of Aron. By drinking nutrient rich spring water, it strengthens its steel body. It digs up iron ore for food, and smashes its steely body up against others in battles over territory._

"Awesome! You evolved, Lairon!" Alena exclaimed happily. Looking back at his Trainer, Lairon gave her a nod. "Alright then. Let's win this one. Lairon, use Take Down!" Alena was slightly surprised to see Lairon charging towards Skitty with only half the speed she was used to seeing from him. Did evolving lower his speed?

"Dodge it now, Skitty!" May yelled frantically. With a frightened noise, Skitty easily dashed away from Lairon. Not one to give up, however, Lairon quickly changed directions and took off towards the small cat with a vengeance. May let out a frantic noise, her nerves getting the best of her. "Quick! Use Double Slap, Skitty!" May yelled. Stopping in its attempts to flee, Skitty quickly turned and began striking its tail across Lairon's face. Lairon paused in its pursuit, but Skitty's attack only seemed to anger him. Before Lairon could fight back, however, the buzzer went off.

"Time's up! And the winner is... May!" Vivian announced.

"I... _won_?" May questioned just before slumping to her knees in disbelief. Skitty quickly tackled her happily and began nuzzling May, but the girl was too numb to notice.

Alena slowly made her way over to where Lairon was glaring angrily at the stage floor. She placed a soothing hand down onto his head before patting him softly. "It's okay, Lairon. You did your best. Plus, you evolved. I'm proud of you," Alena consoled.

"Lair-," Lairon muttered before butting his head against Alena's side.

"Thank you all for coming to this year's Verdanturf Contest! We look forward to seeing you again next time!" Vivian closed out the show.

~:~

"Oh, Lairon. Don't be upset," Alena tried to console her saddened Pokémon in the locker room of the Verdanturf Contest Hall. All her other Pokémon were standing behind her and staring at the upset Pokémon. "You gave it your all. We just ran out of time. That's all."

"Manec-," Manectric tried and offered a paw and a smile to the Steel type. "Manectric."

"There's always next time. Right?" Alena tried again. Suddenly, the door to the locker room opened and someone walked in on them. "May? What are you still doing here?"

"Oh. I was looking for you, Alena. I wanted to give you something," May said before offering the orange Verdanturf Ribbon to Alena. Alena stared up at May in surprise. "If the time hadn't run out, you and Lairon would have definitely beaten me. You should have won this Ribbon."

Standing slowly, Alena pushed the outstretch Ribbon back towards May. May gave Alena a confused look. "May, winning a Contest battle is about more than having the stronger Pokémon. You know that. Despite who's stronger, I still had less points in the end. Those are what matter. You should be proud of the work Skitty put in."

"I am. I guess I just thought that..." May trailed off. After several seconds, May smiled brightly and held the Verdanturf Ribbon to her chest happily. "I'll keep this Ribbon, Alena. And I'm gonna work even harder to get ready for my next Contest."

"Good for you, May. Don't think we won't be training hard, too. Next time, it'll be me who wins that Ribbon," Alena promised while offering her hand for a shake. With a nod, May took the outstretched hand.

~:~

Anya glared with as much anger and hatred as she could. She felt like her entire body was on fire from how upset she was. She let out a low growl.

"I _told_ you that my sister was better than yours," Max told her smartly.

Anya was standing outside the Contest Hall with Max, Ash, and Brock. Many people had already vacated the premises and now they were the only ones left. Anya grit her teeth angrily. "Your sister beat mine _this_ time. Don't make the mistake of thinking that she's better. The time ran out, but I'm sure that Lairon would have beaten Skitty with a single Take Down," Anya declared.

"Would that be _before_ or _after_ it's frozen solid again?" Max fired back in a smug tone. Anya let out another frustrated noise while Max chuckled. Ash and Brock watched the two argue with matching, smirks. Brock chuckled lowly once while shaking his head.

"I won't even bother to argue with you. When May has four Ribbons, _then_ she'll be close to Alena's level. Until then, she's just really, _really_ lucky," Anya smirked.

"My sister will get five Ribbons before your sister!"

"No way! Alena will have her fifth Ribbon _years_ before May!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yuh huh!"

"Nuh _uh!"_

"Yuh _huh!"_

**With four Ribbons now securely under her belt, Alena looks towards her next Contest. Although she doesn't know it, she's slowly gaining rivals and enemies. Will they prove to be too much for Alena to handle?**

**To be continued...**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: I know that Manectric's normal size is almost 5'. Why did I make Alena's Manectric only 4'? Mostly because I wanted to. Just as there are some Pokémon that are bigger than average, I imagine that some are smaller than average as well. Compared to Alena's height of 5'4", Manectric will always be her baby pipsqueak. ^.^
> 
> Also, yes. In my mind, Grovyle has scales. A defining trait of all reptiles are their scales. Being the wood gecko Pokémon and appearing very reptilian, I imagine Treecko, Grovyle, and even Sceptile all have scales. Pokémon like Sandile, Krokorok, Krookodile, and Totodile (and the list goes on) should also have scales as well, but it's not easy to determine from artwork of these Pokémon. Fortunately, some Pokémon, like Milotic, have been stated to have scales.
> 
> Alena's Pokémon:
> 
> Grovyle {Ability: Overgrow} - Pound, Leaf Blade, Solar Beam, Bullet Seed
> 
> Absol {Ability: Super Luck}- Slash, Quick Attack, Double Team, Perish Song (Future Sight)
> 
> Manectric {Ability: Lightning Rod} - Tackle, Spark, Bite, Thunderbolt
> 
> Lairon {Ability: Sturdy} - Take Down, Iron Defense, Metal Claw, Earthquake


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: I can't tell you guys how invested I am in Serena's character. Her triumphs, failures, and even her little challenges are all important. She is my absolute favorite girl. I have never cared so much about a female traveling companion. Sigh...
> 
> And now for the answer to the last Pokémon trivia. It is the ten! Charizard, Pinsir, Gyarados, Mewtwo, Ampharos, Aggron, Sceptile, Altaria, Lopunny, and Audino can all change type when they Mega Evolve. Remember, Mewtwo and Charizard can Mega Evolve into two different Pokémon. ;) For your next question,
> 
> How many main protagonists (meaning Ash and his traveling partners) have caught/owned an Electric type Pokémon?

**Following her loss at the Verdanturf Contest to May, Alena and Anya are now heading towards Rustboro City. They're hoping to spend some time in their new home before the next Pokémon Contest.**

"Rustboro City looks nice. Doesn't it, Anya?" Alena questioned her sister with a small smile. The girls had just arrived in Rustboro City and were looking around them in keen observation. This was their new home after all. They should know every detail about the city.

"I guess. I thought the city would be nothing but dirt, rocks, and rust. This isn't _so_ bad," Anya relented. The town held a modern feel about it with it's sleek buildings and nice homes. The volcano in the distance and the shimmering ocean served as a reminder that nature still dominated.

Alena smiled at that. "That's good to hear. Come on. We're almost to our new home," Alena said and lead Anya down a street and towards a suburban area. "It'll be great to see Dad again."

"I wonder what our new house looks like," Anya commented.

Alena shared in her sister's feelings. The amount of excitement and curiosity she was feeling was exhilarating. Once the girls started to pass by some of the most lavish homes they had ever seen, they shot each other a look. Were they in the right area? Alena looked back at the map of Rustboro City in her hands. She was _sure_ that they were on the right street. Suddenly, Alena stopped in front of a two-story home with a tall, brick foundation. The home was painted white and had copious amounts of glass windows and doors. The lush, green lawn out front invited the girls towards it and possibly lie on it. Instead, they stared for several seconds. In that time, a woman dressed in high-class clothing strolled by along the sidewalk while walking her even more elegant Ninetales.

"Is this it?" Anya questioned. Alena nodded numbly. Slowly, the girls made their way up the brown, brick path that was cut through the lawn. Their eyes roamed over the bountiful flower beds and trimmed shrubbery. The path led them around the left side of the home and towards an oak porch. The front door was a navy color and had several glass panes embedded in it. Hesitantly, they rang the doorbell.

It only took several seconds before they could see their father heading towards the door. With a wide grin, he opened the door for them before pulling them in for a bear hug. " _Finally!_ I was beginning to worry! It's so great to see you girls," Isaac said and pulled the still-stunned girls into the home. Closing the door behind them, Isaac asked, "So? What do you think? I actually got everything unpacked _and_ I did it all by myself."

" _This_ is our new house?" Anya asked incredulously as she turned slowly in a circle to take in the entire view. The walls were white inside and the floors were oak. Two, long staircases to the left led upstairs and downstairs. With an excited squeal, Anya took off.

"This sure isn't like our home in Lilycove," Alena mused.

"I know. Your sister seems to like it. What about you?" Isaac questioned hesitantly.

Alena stared at the home before looking at her father. He looked... nervous. Alena gave the home one more look before smiling. "It's nice, Dad. I just feel bad that you were staying in it all alone for so long," Alena finally answered.

Isaac breathed a sigh of relief before wrapping an arm around Alena's shoulder. "You get used to it after a while. It's just nice to have you girls home," he said.

" _Alena! There are five bedrooms!"_ they heard Anya cry out from somewhere in the home. Alena and Isaac laughed lightly at Anya's enthusiasm before moving into the living room.

"How long are you planning on staying?" Isaac asked, trying to keep the nerves out of his voice. He had missed his girls like crazy. Although he'd love it if they stayed, he didn't want them to. It was a difficult feeling.

"The next Contest is taking place in Lavaridge Town in about three weeks. It should only take a week to get there if we pass through Fallarbor Town. So I guess we'll stay here for about two weeks if you don't mind us intruding on your privacy," Alena joked lightly.

Isaac smiled before taking a seat on one of the white couches. He was about to say something, but Anya had suddenly appeared and interrupted him. "I already called my bedroom, Alena. You'll have to pick somewhere else. Dad, why didn't you tell us how _awesome_ this place is!? There are, like a billion bathrooms _and_ a pool!"

Isaac shrugged. "I didn't want to spoil the surprise."

"Alena, you should let your Pokémon out so that they can see this, too. They'll love it!" Anya suggested and twirled once in happiness.

"Sure. You're right," Alena agreed before releasing her Pokémon.

Upon release from their balls, the mixed group looked around them curiously (all except Grovyle who only offered two, quick glances before looking away in disinterest). Absol sniffed around twice before smiling and jumping up onto one of the couches for a comfortable nap. Lairon looked around him once before stomping over to the side and slumping down for a nap. Manectric barked happily before zipping around the room quickly, only stopping long enough to sniff at something before he quickly moved on. Grovyle gave Isaac a quick nod of recognition before leaping out through a window to bask in some sunlight.

"Your Pokémon have quite the range in personalities," Isaac commented.

"You don't know the _half_ of it, Dad. Grovyle is always cool and calm. He barely _ever_ talks," Anya started and plopped down on the couch next to her father. While Anya spoke about every and any thing she could think of to say about Alena's Pokémon and their journey so far, Alena left to explore the home.

It was big- far bigger than she had been expecting. She knew that her father was making a substantial income from his new job, but it hadn't hit her just how much he would be making. It was no big deal. He was happy with the change and Anya had more than taken to it. Everything would turn out fine.

After waking up the glass-enclosed staircase, Alena observed the hallway with many doors along it. The door closest to the stairs hid a room that was almost bare except for the unmade bed, white night stands, and matching dresser. All over the floor were stacks of boxes marked "Alena's things" or "Anya's things". Their dad must have left their stuff for them to unpack wherever and however they chose. "Well, better get started," Alena mused. Gathering up a random box, Alena walked across the hall to another bedroom- her new room.

**~:~**

Falling back into the routine was easier than she had expected. Before Anya or her father were even up, Alena was already in the kitchen making breakfast. The kitchen was quickly becoming her favorite room in the house. Not even she could deny how beautiful it was. "Grovyle, would you mind cutting up the fruit for me?" Alena questioned one of her helpers.

With a nod, Grovyle tossed the fruit up into the air. "Gro...vyle," Grovyle grunted as he quickly slashed twice at the falling fruit with two Leaf Blades. With impeccable balance, he caught the sliced fruits in a bowl before carrying it over to the table. Absol was going back and forth between the kitchen and the dining room with dishes of cooked food.

"I never knew that making breakfast could go so fast," Alena smiled at the fully stocked table of food.

"Alena?"

The trio turned at the sound of someone speaking. With a drowsy expression, Isaac stood at the entrance to the kitchen. His eyes roamed over the breakfast spread before he chuckled with a grin. "I haven't seen a spread like this in months."

"Breakfast is served. You can go ahead and dig in, Dad. I'm gonna feed my Pokémon and then I'll join you," Alena said before moving to dish out some Pokémon food and iron ores.

Breakfast was a peaceful affair. Anya was enthusing about her amazing night's sleep in a _real_ bed. Isaac listened intently, not realizing until now how much he missed hearing Anya go on. Alena smiled happily at her family's dynamic. Having her Pokémon nearby only served to complete the scene.

"Girls, while you're here, I think you should both attend the Trainer's School in town," Isaac suggested.

"A Trainer's School?" Alena parroted.

"Yes. They take kids from age eight and up. They even offer classes on battling and Contests. I think you girls would benefit from it. Roxanne is an excellent teacher," Isaac said and took a sip of his coffee.

"Roxanne?" Anya questioned.

"She's the Gym Leader here in Rustboro City. She's an intelligent woman who teaches the beginner's class when she's not tending to the Gym," Isaac explained.

"She sounds nice, Dad," Alena said. "We'll head over there today."

"We can't spend too much time in school though. Alena still has to train for her next Contest," Anya reminded them and finished off her juice.

~:~

" _This_ is the Pokémon Trainer's School? Looks like a dump," Anya mumbled to herself.

"Anya! Don't say that. Do you _want_ _them_ to kick you out before you even get to class?" Alena chastised before shaking her head with a sigh. "Come on. The Headmaster's office should be around here..."

The Pokémon Trainer's School consisted of a few large, brown brick buildings and a courtyard that doubled as a battlefield. While it wasn't much to look at, it wouldn't be too hard to get lost on the extensive property. Within a matter of minutes, the girls had found the Headmaster's office. And after introducing themselves to the secretary, they only had to wait for a few moments before the headmaster came out to meet them.

The headmaster was a middle-aged man with short, brown hair and a thick, brown mustache. He wore a red jacket over a white button up and beige slacks. As he approached them, he smiled brightly. "Welcome to the Pokémon Trainer's School, young ladies. My name is Geoffrey. Your father has told me quite a bit about the two of you. We're very fortunate to have another skilled Coordinator in our midst today. Pease, follow me and I'll direct you to your classes," the headmaster said and led the girls to the door.

"Due to your age, Anya, you'll be in the Beginner's class that is taught by Miss Roxanne. I'm sure that you'll have much to learn from her," the headmaster said. "I hope you don't mind, Alena. When your father told us about your talents as a Coordinator, we decided that it would be best to have you speak in our Coordinator's class."

"Speak? I'm not sure I'm cut out for that. I'm still a beginner, myself," Alena said nervously.

"A beginner with four Ribbons?" Geoffrey chuckled. "You're very modest. Have no fear. You won't be speaking alone today. We have a second Coordinator who is just as competent as you," he replied before stopping outside a wooden door. "Here we are, the Beginner's class."

"Be good, Anya," Alena reminded seriously.

"Don't worry, Alena. I'll be fine," Anya shrugged her sister off before opening the door and striding into the room confidently.

"Miss Roxanne, you have a new student. This is Anya, Isaac's youngest daughter," Geoffrey informed the young woman who was standing at the front of the large classroom.

Roxanne turned curious eyes onto them before smiling brightly. "Welcome, Anya. It's a pleasure to have you," Roxanne said. Anya thoroughly inspected Roxanne's outfit. A navy, long-sleeved dress over red tights and a matching red pin in her long, taupe hair. Seemingly satisfied, Anya nodded once. Turning her red eyes onto the girl standing behind Anya, Roxanne smiled again. "You must be Alena. Isaac has told me a lot about you," Roxanne said before turning back to her class. "Class, this is Alena. She's a Pokémon Coordinator. She'll be giving a talk to the Coordinator's class. A little later, we'll pay her a visit."

If Alena wasn't sweating before, she sure was now. What had her dad gotten her into? Feeling the eyes of all the children on her, Alena started to back away and out of the door slowly. "Yes, well... Farewell, Miss Roxanne," Geoffrey said before leading Alena away.

The Coordinator's classroom was styled quite differently from the Beginner's classroom. On some days, the Coordinator's class would have desks and tables for the students to sit at. Most times, however, all the furniture was removed from the room to allow for demonstrations and hands-on practice. Today was one of the days where the furniture was left in the room.

After knocking and pushing the door open, Geoffrey cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. "Good morning, scholars. I'm pleased to announce that your second guest speaker for the day has arrived. Please welcome, Alena," Geoffrey introduced and gestured to Alena. Alena offered a small wave. "I'll leave you in her capable hands."

Alena felt completely alone and exposed once the headmaster had left. All the aspiring Coordinators were staring at her from their desks. Releasing a breath, Alena made her way over to the podium at the front of the room. " _I should have known that they'd get you..."_

With a surprised expression, Alena turned and potted Charlotte glowering at her. "Charlotte? What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it _obvious_? I was asked to speak to the class because of my experience as a Coordinator. I mean, I have _five_ Ribbons already. They'd be fools not to ask me to speak," Charlotte bragged.

"Five Ribbons? That's great! Congrats," Alena smiled. Charlotte didn't respond.

An older (but still pretty young) man stepped forward to address the class. "Now that you all have heard from Charlotte, do you have any questions?"

One hand shot into the air. Charlotte smirked at Alena. "Yes?" Charlotte asked in a sweet voice.

"I have a question for Alena," the young woman in the third row announced.

" _Me?_ " Alena questioned and pointed to her chest. Charlotte balked.

"Yes. I saw your performance at the Oldale Contest and I was wondering how you came up with that routine? I've never seen anything like it," the girl said.

"Um... Well, I was just looking up information on my Pokémon in my Pokédex one day and I learned that Treecko's evolutionary line are known for tending to trees in forests. After that, it was just working out how to get a tree on the Contest stage," Alena shrugged and blushed lightly.

"Can I see your Grovyle? I've only ever seen it on tv," the girl went on.

"That's an excellent idea. Why don't you two let your Pokémon out so that the class can observed what healthy, well-raised Pokémon look like," the instructor said.

"Alright then. Feast your eyes on _my_ gorgeous Pokémon," Charlotte said and released her Flaaffy and Delcatty. Following her example, Alena also released her Pokémon.

The six Pokémon faced the students in the class, but didn't acknowledge each other. When Lairon spotted Delcatty standing next to Grovyle, he growled lowly. The Steel type still hadn't forgiven the cat for the tricks it had played on his mind. His growling ceased, however, when Grovyle shot him a quick glare that said, "Now is not the time nor place". At the appearance of the Pokémon, more hands shot into the air.

"How do you get your Pokémon's fur so shiny and smooth?"

"What kind of PokéBlock do you use?"

"How do I raise my Pokémon to always win Contests?"

Charlotte had been totally ready to answer all their questions, but froze when she heard Alena's soft voice speak up. "Well, my little sister usually brushes their fur, polishes Lairon's shell and waxes Grovyle's scales every day. I make my own PokéBlock to keep them healthy," Alena said. Charlotte frowned at all the students who had the gall to take notes.

Suddenly, the door opened to reveal Roxanne and her Beginner Class. "Mr. Roman, I hope you don't mind, but I wanted my class to listen in on your guest presenters," Roxanne said.

"Not a problem," the instructor replied. Roxanne ushered the children into the room and had them sit on the floor at the front of the room and directly in front of Alena and Charlotte. All the children stared up at Alena with eager expressions. Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"Unlike Alena, I take care of my Pokémon on my own. I don't have baby sisters tending to my Pokémon," Charlotte snubbed.

"Can we see your Ribbons?" A little girl questioned while shooting her hand up in the air.

Charlotte chuckled. Let those snot-nosed brats anywhere _near_ her Ribbons? Charlotte's laughter died off when she heard Alena acquiesce. The children _ooh_ ed and _ahh_ ed at the four Ribbons as if they were the best thing on the planet! Charlotte huffed before whipping out her Ribbon Case.

"I've already seen Alena's Ribbons. I was there when she won them," Anya bragged.

Charlotte steamed. Now they were all paying attention to Alena's sister!? What about her!? Charlotte was the more accomplished Coordinator! She was clearly superior. Why was Alena being praised for mediocrity!? Charlotte huffed silently.

~:~

Alena was observing the children in Miss Roxanne's class have mock battles with the school's Pokémon. Anya was doing well enough at battling and seemed to be taking her rare defeats in stride. Alena was sure that the school would have already been destroyed by one of Anya's meltdowns after losing in battle. Giggling to herself, Alena turned to leave the courtyard in search of a bathroom.

Rounding a corner, Alena was met with a deserted hallway. Getting the feeling that she wouldn't find a bathroom here, Alena turned to leave. She was stopped when she heard her name whispered. "Hello?" she replied, but received no answer. Continuing down the hallway, Alena could hear the sounds of a soft conversation reach her ears. Someone was speaking in one of the classrooms. Stopping at the door, Alena could see that it wasn't completely shut. She was about to walk in, but stopped when the voice spoke up again.

" _It's ridiculous!"_ the person said in a subdued shout. It was Charlotte's voice. Alena almost turned to leave. It would be wrong to listen in on Charlotte's conversation. But then- " _She comes out of nowhere and everyone thinks she's so amazing. They've got to be blind. She's just lucky. I refuse to believe that she's good enough to have won four Ribbons already..."_

Alena froze in place. Was Charlotte speaking about her? Her voice sounded so rude and a bit snobby. Surely, Charlotte wouldn't say anything so mean about-

" _Of course she cheats. If you'd seen her, you would_ _have _to think that she's a cheater. She's this freakishly tall nobody with the worst sense of fashion. Personally, I think she dresses herself in the dark."__

Alena looked down at her clothes. She wasn't _that_ bad... Then again, Anya had always said that she had no style... But Anya had been joking. Right?

" _She doesn't even look Top Coordinator material. I bet she's just going to get worse as she gets older. She's only going to get taller. She'll probably end up being a bigfoot freak that's too tall and too skinny to fit into anything... Corinne, all tall people have big feet. That's just genetics."_

Alena felt a mix of emotions settle in her chest and stomach. There was sadness- a deep sadness that clogged her throat and gripped her lungs and heart. There was anger. It brewed just under her skin, leaving her feeling heated in the face but cold in her digits. The last emotion that she could identify was a feeling of hopeless worthlessness. The anger flickered out slowly as the worthlessness took over.

" _If I didn't have five Ribbons already, I'd enter a Contest just to put Alena in her place and give her a wake up call..."_

~:~

Later that evening, Isaac watched Anya eat her dinner peacefully while slipping bits of her meal to a waiting Manectric who was under the table. The single father hadn't seen his eldest daughter since she had come home that afternoon from the Trainer's School. "Anya, where's your sister?" he asked.

"In her room. She said that she wasn't feeling okay so she was going to take a nap," Anya answered.

"She must be feeling pretty bad. She's pretty resilient," Isaac frowned.

"Sure, Dad," Anya muttered while feeding Manectric some of her fruit.

She wasn't napping, however. Alena had laid on her bed for hours just thinking about all her past Contests. She had always thought that she had done a good job. The judges believed so. It couldn't have been luck. She's worked too hard with her Pokémon for all their wins to be determined by luck. Charlotte _had_ to be wrong.

But the other stuff she had said...

Alena rolled over onto the stomach with a quiet sigh and hid her red face in her wet pillow. There wasn't anything special about her. She was too tall, too skinny, boring, shy, quiet... There was no way to prove that Charlotte had been wrong then. So...Charlotte had to be right... Why couldn't she have turned out more like Anya?

**~:~**

Isaac kept eyeing the digital clock on the stove that flashed the time. ' _10:54'._ Isaac sighed and sipped his coffee. His girls would be leaving him today. He had really enjoyed this time with them. But, Alena still had one more Ribbon to win. Maybe they would come back after Alena won her Ribbon?

" _Ready_!" Anya sang as she descended the stairs quickly. She twirled once at the bottom of the stairs with a bright grin on her face.

"You seem excited," Isaac noted with a smile.

"Of course, Dad. We're heading to Lavaridge Town today. I heard that the town has a really famous hot spring. I can't wait to relax in it," Anya sighed happily.

"We have to get there first, Anya," Alena reminded as she came down the steps at a slower rate than Anya had.

"Well let's get going! We're wasting time!" Anya urged before quickly embracing her father in a tight squeeze. "Love you, Dad. See you later!"

Isaac was left staring after his youngest daughter with a stunned expression. She was gone before he could respond. Isaac smiled fondly before saying, "I'll see you girls soon. Good luck in your Contest, Alena."

"Thanks, Dad," Alena said and hugged her father. While mid-hug, they both heard Anya's voice call out, " _Hurry up, Alena_!"

"You better get going before Anya leaves you behind," Isaac chuckled.

"Alright. Bye, Dad!" Alena said and quickly left her father alone.

" _Finally._ I thought we were _never_ going to leave. Come on! Lavaridge Town is waiting for us!" Anya exclaimed and took off in excitement.

"Anya! Wait! Do you even know where you're going!?" Alena called out as she ran after her sister.

The road from Rustboro City to Lavaridge Town took about one week to travel. Along the way, the girls would stop in Fallarbor Town for a night, but would have to leave the next morning in order to make it on time for the Lavaridge Contest. Fortunately for Alena, she'd already practiced and perfected her routine for the Contest while in Rustboro.

Honestly, Alena wasn't sure if she was going to compete in the Lavaridge Contest. She sure hadn't felt up to it. Having her self-confidence crushed made performing on stage the _last_ thing she wanted to do. A strong sense of commitment was what had finally persuaded her to continue on. She had to at least _try_. There were a lot of people who had faith in her and supported her fully. She had worked so hard with her Pokémon as well. What did it matter if she wasn't special or appealing? Her Pokémon sure were. And everyone was going to see that.

Around noon, the girls had stopped walking and claimed a small clearing to occupy for lunch. Alena had felt a tiny twinge of longing for the luxurious kitchen they had left behind in Rustboro when she faced her cooking supplies. Anya missed eating in her new home as well (but not enough to go back home, mind you). While Alena cooked, Anya dished out food and PokéBlock for all the Pokémon and got out the grooming supplies.

"Alright. Time to get you guys all clean," Anya said to the Pokémon. None of them showed any sign that they had heard Anya, eating their food took priority. Anya approached Lairon's large body first. With a cloth in hand, she went about polishing his shell.

Lairon ate his meal without interruption, not bothered in the slightest by Anya's ministrations. While mid-chew, the Steel type was disturbed by a new sight. A small, blue and white bird had landed before him and was perched atop his iron ores. It stared up at him with its beady, black eyes. It tilted its head curiously before cooing happily and rubbing its white, cottony wings all over Lairon's face.

After hearing the new sound, Anya looked to Lairon in question. She raised a brow at what she saw. "Alena, check this out," she called out to her sister with a giggle.

Alena looked up from her stew in question. Her eyes widened slightly before she stifled a giggle. Lairon was no longer being cared for by Anya. Instead, a small bird-like Pokémon was polishing Lairon's entire body with its wings. Lairon growled grumpily, not happy in the slightest about the intrusion of his personal space. Alena took out her Pokédex.

_Swablu, the Cotton Bird Pokémon. Swablu loves cleanliness and is quick to wipe off any unclean surface with its cotton-like wings._

"It's so cute. Wow, Lairon. Swablu is getting you cleaner than I ever could," Anya giggled.

"Blu," Swablu trilled happily from the praise. Having polished Lairon's body, Swablu decided to perch atop Alena's head. Wrapping its wings around its body, Swablu resembled a white, cottony cap atop Alena's black hair.

"I've never seen a Pokémon act like this before," Anya mused.

"The Pokédex says that Swablu are very friendly, unafraid of humans, and like to perch on their heads," Alena remarked.

Anya quickly took the Pokédex from her sister to look over Swablu's entry. Scanning through the information, Anya became even more interested when she spotted Swablu's evolved form. " _Wow._ Look at what Swablu evolves into, Alena. Isn't it pretty?" Anya asked and showed Alena the picture of the larger, blue bird with white, fluffy plumage and two, long blue plumes extending from its head.

"Why don't we have lunch now before it gets cold? Swablu, you're welcome to join us for lunch if you want," Alena offered. Swablu cooed happily from atop Alena's head before flapping over to rest patiently atop Lairon's shell.

"I think Lairon made a new friend," Anya snickered at Lairon's exasperated look.

With a huff, Lairon quickly shook out his body and caused Swablu to fly off his shell. The second he ceased his shaking, however, Swablu was back to resting on his shiny shell. With a soft coo, she wrapped herself in her soft wings and settled down for a nap. Lairon huffed again before plopping down loudly. Sensing Lairon's submission, Swablu cooed again while patting Lairon's shell with her wings.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: For a better look at Alena's new home, you can see it here: http://southernnehome.com/?p=2043 It's a really nice home... Don't forget to comment and leave some kudos! ;)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: For the answer to the last Pokémon trivia. This one was a bit iffy... Ash, Dawn, Iris, Clemont, Cilan and Sophocles all own at least one Electric type Pokémon. If you count Bonnie taking care of Dedenne, you would get seven. But, technically, Dedenne is Clemont's Pokémon. Either way, if you say 6 (or 7, counting Bonnie), you got it! For your next question, I've decided to ask something that no one can get wrong.
> 
> Who are your favorite traveling partners and rivals?
> 
> I'm curious as to who you guys like the most. If you've read my author's notes on fanfiction.net and took a little peek at my other Pokémon stories there, you could easily guess mine. Personally, Serena is my favorite traveling partner and Paul is my favorite rival. These characters need their own episode or special or something! I demand more Paul and Serena can't leave yet! Why does she have to go to Hoenn!?

**We join our heroes on their way to Lavaridge Town. Many troubles are just beyond the horizon for Alena. Let's hope she can face them head on and become triumphant.**

Lairon was at his wit's end.

For days, Swablu had followed the group as they traveled through forests and Fallarbor Town. Every second that Lairon was out of his ball, he had to put up with Swablu's constant weight on his back (Swablu weighed barely any more than two pounds, but that was irrelevant). Swablu continued to ignore Lairon's upset, however. She always kept a perky air about her, quickly causing others to join in on her happiness. Lairon was alone in his frustrations.

"Thank you, Swablu," Alena said with a smile as Swablu handed her the wooden spoon that she had been carrying.

"Swablu is so nice," Anya smiled up at the tiny bird. Swablu trilled happily before landing softly onto Anya's head. Anya giggled just as Swablu's cottony wings covered her eyes. Lairon rolled his eyes.

"You've been following us for a while now, Swablu. You must really like being around us," Alena acknowledged while stirring the contents of her metal pot that hung over a small fire.

Swablu cooed before flapping over to where Lairon rested. With a bright smile, Swablu snuggled into the space between Lairon's spikes. "I get it. Swablu likes you Lairon," Anya said with a giggle. Lairon huffed.

"Why don't you come along with us to Lavaridge Town, Swablu?" Alena suggested. Swablu perked up with an excited look at the same time that Lairon gained an urgent one. "You've already been following us for a few days now. We're almost to Lavaridge Town, anyways."

"I like that idea. If you caught Swablu, she could stay with us all the time," Anya said.

"Lairon!" Lairon objected loudly with a stomp of his foot.

"Lairon likes that idea, too!" Anya misinterpreted.

Lairon balked comically before rushing over to Alena with a pleading look in his bright, blue eyes. Alena had to steady the pot that contained their lunch so it wouldn't topple over from Lairon's heavy thuds. "Swablu, do you want to be my Pokémon?" Alena questioned the small bird once she was sure her food wouldn't go to waste.

" _Bluuu!"_ Swablu cooed happily before flapping over to Alena. Automatically, Alena wrapped her arms around Swablu just before the bird began nuzzling into Alena's chest.

"That's definitely a "Yes". Isn't this great, Lairon?" Anya questioned the Steel type. Lairon growled lowly with a roll of his eyes.

Alena held Swablu to her with one arm before reaching down to pat Lairon consolingly. "It'll be alright, Lairon. I think Swablu would love living with us. We'll _all_ grow to love having her around, too. You'll see," Alena smiled. To anyone who looked closely enough, it would appear that Lairon was pouting. But, it was probably just a trick of the light.

~:~

The next day, the girls were once again stopped for lunch. They were just outside of Lavaridge Town and would definitely make it before the day's end. Anya had wanted to walk through lunchtime in order to make it sooner, but Alena had insisted that lunch was more important. "Lavaridge Town isn't going anywhere, Anya. We'll get there when we get there," Alena told her pouting sister. Anya rolled her eyes with a loud sigh before moving to retrieve one of her fashion magazines from her bag.

Alena went back to cutting sandwiches with a small smile on her face. Only a few seconds into her meal preparations had gone by before she suddenly remembered Charlotte's words. Stubbornly, Alena pushed the thoughts away. The small frown on her face was the only sign of her troubled thoughts.

She had tried the best that she could not to dwell on Charlotte's opinions, but it was harder than she cared to admit. She tried to stay busy and focus on other things, but the harsh words kept wriggling back into her head. Like an agitated Beedrill, they buzzed around in her head. Why would Charlotte say that about her? Was Charlotte the only person who felt this way? How many people were laughing at her behind her back?

" _Hey, you!"_

With a surprised gasp, Alena snapped up at once. Anya raised an eyebrow in question at the new intruders. A boy and girl not too much older than Alena had arrived in the clearing. The boy had short, green hair and green eyes while the girl had matching features and long hair. They both wore red jackets and white tank tops underneath. Even their red sneakers matched. The boy had red shorts while the girl wore a short, black skirt, however.

"Can we help you?" Alena questioned while simultaneously wiping her hands on her pink apron.

"Maybe you can. My sister and I are looking for our 100th opponent," the boy said with a cocky smirk.

"My brother and I are Ace Trainers. My name's Annette and this is my brother Craig. We're on a mission to defeat one hundred Trainers in battle. You're going to be number one hundred," Annette said with a matching smirk and a gloved hand on her hip.

"Let's battle. You better call out your two strongest Pokémon. My sister and I aren't pushovers and neither are our Pokémon," Craig boasted.

"Two strongest? How come only two?" Anya questioned.

"Because my brother and I are trying to defeat Trainers in double battles," Annette said and flipped her straight, green bangs out of her eyes.

Anya turned to Alena with a small frown. "You've never had a double battle before, Alena."

" _Seriously?_ And here we thought that you might be a challenge. Now we know you won't be. What's the point in battling if there's no challenge in it?" Annette huffed.

"I know what you mean. Let's go, Annette," Craig said with a scoff. Alena rubbed her arm sheepishly while she turned away from the older kids. She couldn't believe how easily she'd gotten off the hook with that-

"Wait just a second!" Anya exclaimed at the same time that Lairon and Swablu had. The three were staring at the siblings in matching, incensed expressions. Swablu was once again perched on Lairon's shell, her fluffy wings now outstretched as she flapped them angrily. "My sister, Alena is the best Coordinator in Hoenn. She's trained with some of the best Gym Leaders in Hoenn and beaten some of the best Coordinators out there. If anything, you should be running from a battle with her."

Alena really had to work on keeping Anya quiet...

The siblings shared an intrigued look. "Well, we've never defeated a Coordinator before. This might just be a memorable battle," Annette said.

"Let's just hope that we don't remember it for being the shortest battle in history," Craig laughed. Alena pouted angrily while untying her apron. Was why everyone picking on her lately? She'd never done anything to hurt Annette and Craig. How could they be so _mean?_

"Which two Pokémon will you be battling with? Then again, it doesn't really matter. Our partners are top notch," Annette said while brandishing a yellow and black Pokéball.

"I'll use Lairon and Swablu," Alena announced.

"Well, let's not waste time. Rhydon, let's go!" Craig called out and tossed his Ultra Ball.

"Swellow, I need you!" Annette said.

Grovyle lounged on the grass next to Absol, Anya, and Manectric. They rested under the shade of a large tree with their respective lunches before them. Lairon glared Rydon down, but his menacing look was diminished slightly by the small, fluffy Swablu still perched on the front spike of his shell. Alena took a few deep breaths to try to calm herself.

"Rhydon, use Take Down on Lairon!" Craig commanded.

With a cry, Rhydon charged toward Lairon with impressive speed. Alena's eyes widened in surprise just before she caught herself. "Swablu, get out of there! Lairon, use Iron Defense!" Alena countered.

Swablu quickly took to the skies while Lairon readied himself for Rhydon's attack. The two, large Pokémon collided with a loud bang just before they were locked in a stalemate. They then began to use their weights and brute strength to overthrow the other. Low growls were the only sounds they emitted.

"Don't let that pathetic bird out of your sights. Use Quick Attack, Swellow!" Annette said.

Alena looked up just before Swellow's larger body collided with Swablu's small one. The blow left her slightly disoriented, but Swablu quickly righted herself mid-air. "Swablu, use Swift!" Alena commanded.

"Rhydon, use Brick Break!"

Alena was completely surprised when Lairon was knocked back by Rhydon's super effective attack. She was slowly becoming overwhelmed by the battle. It was so difficult to keep track of both Pokémon at the same time... "Lairon, use Earthquake! Swablu, use Swift again!"

"Use _your_ Earthquake, Rhydon!"

"Double Team, Swellow! Follow up with Aerial Ace!"

Nothing was working. Alena could see why Craig and Annette had been able to defeat those other 99 Trainers... Alena gasped in shock as her Pokémon were knocked back by their opponents' force. Lairon was struggling to rise while Swablu cooed in a broken voice at his feet. She feebly tried to push herself up with her wings, but her muscles were straining and her tiny body shook in exhaustion.

"This was too easy. Rhydon, finish off Lairon with Brick Break," Craig said with a smirk.

Lairon steadied himself, his Ability, Sturdy, giving him the edge he needed to remain in this battle. Rhydon charged towards him with a glowing hand and an eager grin on its face. This blow would hurt and surely be his end, but he wasn't about to give up. He'd stick it out until the end.

Just before the Brick Break could strike Lairon head on, Swablu let out a shrill cry. Lairon was momentarily surprised by her cry, but before he could glance back at her she was suddenly in front of his face. Rhydon's Brick Break struck Swablu on the back of her head and sent her plummeting into the ground. " _Blu..."_

In that moment, Lairon could see the fighting spirit within her. Though she was small, she still fought with guts and spunk. He knew what it was like to be smaller than your opponent. So many had dismissed him for his size only for him to show them what he was _really_ made of. Lairon knew how important it was to fight until the end. He could appreciate a gutsy Pokémon.

"That was kind of cute that the little Swablu took the hit for the big Lairon," Annette said.

Lairon was stunned. Personally, he wasn't the biggest fan of Swablu (he found her quite annoying to be perfectly honest). But that didn't mean that she deserved that hit. _He_ was meant to take that hit. He could handle it. But Swablu... Lairon looked down at her injured and unconscious form.

"Let's pick up where we left off. Rhydon, Brick Break once-" Craig started, but was stopped by a loud cry.

"Lair- _ON!"_ Lairon exclaimed before rushing at Rhydon with the speed of a bullet train.

Alena gasped just as her hands flew up to cover her mouth in shock. Lairon had tackled Rhydon just before striking it with twice with his Metal Claw attack. Too stunned to call out an attack, Alena watched Lairon use Take Down on Swellow as well. In a matter of seconds, both opponents were lying unconsciously on the ground.

Lairon huffed dismissively once before stomping over to Swablu's form. He carefully nudged her awake while checking her over for serious injuries. When her black eyes blinked open, Lairon nodded once to himself before stepping back to give her some space.

Alena watched Swablu trill happily before clambering up onto his shell. Surprisingly, Lairon didn't look in the least bit grievance by her presence. Everyone watched the heavy Steel type move over to rest under the shade of a large tree with the blue bird cooing softly on his back. Alena smirked at the sight.

"We... _lost_?" Annette questioned with a dumbstruck expression.

~:~

Lavaridge Town was a cross between modern urbanization and natural scenery. A river cut through the town and many of the roads were made of dirt, stone, or just covered in warm sand. The tall, modern buildings curved with the land as a statement of man's willingness to work with nature rather than against it. As the girls were crossing a bridge to get into the town, Anya suddenly stopped to peer over one side. "Alena, look! There are people laying in the sand. Can we try that?"

Alena joined her sister in watching the group of people who were covered from the neck down in the sand. "It _does_ look pretty relaxing. After I register for the Contest, we can try it. How does that sound?" Alena suggested.

Anya's eyes glazed over in happiness. "Then let's go!"

Their pit stop took longer than expected when Alena diverted them towards the Pokémon Center. Her Pokémon were still worn out from the trip and their health was a top priority. Eventually, Alena was registered for the Contest and her Pokémon were in Nurse Joy's care.

As Nurse Joy carried the tray with Alena's five Pokéballs into the medical bay, Anya turned to Alena expectantly. Alena smiled down at her eager sister. "Alright, Anya. We can go now," Alena said.

"Yes!" Anya cheered.

" _Alena! Is that you!?"_

The girls turned only seconds before Alena's hands were captured by another's. Alena blinked in confusion. "Harley? What are you doing here?"

Harley stood back with a pout. "Is _that_ the welcome I get from my supposed "best friend"? How cruel," Harley said with a scoff.

Alena smiled. "Hi, Harley. It's good to see you. Are you in town for the Contest?" she tried again.

"That's _much_ better," Harley grinned. "Of course I am, hun. I'm planning on blowing _everyone_ away."

"I bet you are, Harley," Anya grinned brightly.

"You know it, Little Red," Harley said with a wink. "So, where are you two off to?"

"Alena and I are going to the hot springs! I've been just _dying_ to relax in them. And those sand baths don't sound too bad either," Anya sighed wistfully.

" _No way!_ I was just headed over to this spa I was hearing about. It's definitely a number one spot for relaxation. We should go together!" Harley said with a light chuckle. He immediately looped his arm through Alena's before leading the sisters out of the Pokémon Center.

Alena was mostly quiet on the way to the spa. She was happy to see Harley again and Anya looked just as thrilled to see the older boy. "So I told her, "Honey, you can _not_ be serious about that dress. You look like Jynx's ugly step-sister," Harley said in a disgusted tone. Anya laughed out loud at Harley's retelling before waiting for Harley to continue. Alena smiled at Harley's joke just seconds before frowning. Was Harley really the type of person to judge and hurt people for how they looked? Was Harley another Charlotte? Did Harley secretly judge _her_ for how she looked? Alena frowned deeply. Was Harley really her friend?

"We're _here,"_ Harley sang and gestured to the large pagoda-styled, white, two-story building with the red, tiled roof. The trio walked up the dark, wooden steps and slid open the shoji door. Confidently, Harley stepped up to the woman wearing a deep purple kimono who stood behind the counter. "Hi there. We want to get the full package- hot springs, sand baths, massages, the whole works," Harley said.

The woman nodded once before walking around the desk. "Follow me, please. Our Soothing Salvation package allows for one deep tissue massage followed by a two hour long rest in the sand baths. Finally, you round out your day with a soak in our excellent hot springs. If you require any food or drink at all, please don't hesitate to ask," the receptionist said. She slid open the shoji door and said, "I'm afraid that the younger ones must receive their messages in a separate room from the older ones, if that is alright with you."

"I'll get my massage on another planet if I have to," Anya said with a stretch. She waved good bye to her sister and Harley before walking into the room where some other kids were getting massages.

The receptionist slid the door close before leading Alena and Harley away. "If you wish, we can assign you separate rooms for your massages."

"That won't be necessary. We _definitely_ need to play catch up. Right, Alena?" Harley said with a wink. Alena shook her head with a smile.

The receptionist left Harley and Alena some robes to change into before leaving them alone. The two changed behind separate screen dividers in the room before waiting for their masseuses. While waiting, Harley spoke up. "Alena, are you alright?"

Giving Harley a confused stare, Alena nodded her head. "Yes. I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You can't hide anything from me, hun. You're about as opaque as a glass window," Harley scoffed. "You've been moping ever since we left the Pokémon Center. What's up? Did something happen?"

Alena rubbed her upper arm nervously while her eyes bored holes in the wooden floors. The arrival of their masseuses gave her the excuse she needed and she hoped that the topic had been dropped. Turning away from each other, they got ready for their massages. Alena was about ten seconds into her massage when she heard Harley speak up, "Well? I'm still _waiting_ you know."

"Harley... I don't know what to tell you," Alena said as she stared down at the floor through the hole on the headrest. She could only hear Harley's voice, but it was almost like she could see his expression as he spoke.

"Let's start with what's got you so down. Is the boyfriend not acting right?" Harley guessed.

Alena blushed and immediately tensed. "W-what? N-no. _No_! I don't have a.... No, Harley," Alena stuttered. Her masseuse tried to get her to relax and she slowly acquiesced to her wishes.

"Oh? I could have sworn that you did," Harley said. He sounded genuinely surprised by Alena's admission.

"What would make you think _that_?"

"Well, if it's not boy troubles, then what is it? Family problems?"

"Oh, _no_! I don't have any problems with Anya or my dad. We're great. My dad got a new job working at Devon Corp and we just moved into this really nice house in Rustboro City," Alena said with a smile.

"So if it's not boys or the family, then _what_ is it? You're _killing_ me here, hun. I'm no good at guessing games," Harley said with a pout.

"It's... Well... I met this girl at a Contest and I'll admit that we didn't get off on the right foot. I didn't think that it was too bad. But when I saw her again in Rustboro, I accidentally overheard her saying some things about me. They weren't the nicest things and it's been bugging me. But, you don't need to worry about me, Harley," Alena replied.

"Just who was this girl?"

"Her name is Charlotte. But it's not that big of a deal, Harley. I'm sure she just-"

"Charlotte? As in Charlotte _Sinclair?_ I've heard of her!" Harley exclaimed, barely keeping still on the massage table. "She's supposed to be this rich Coordinator from the Kanto region. Her family is well known for being the best at _everything_."

"Oh..."

"What did she say about you anyways?"

"I don't really want to repeat it..." Alena started. The words had been buzzing around in her head for days. She'd wanted nothing more than to talk about this with someone- _any_ one-, but she'd been terrified of actually saying the words aloud. Would Harley laugh at her? Even worse, they weren't exactly _alone_ in the room...

"I can't imagine what she could say that would have you so down," Harley replied.

"I'm a freakishly tall, bigfoot who'll be too skinny to fit into anything but it doesn't matter because my fashion sense is so terrible that I probably get dressed in the dark," Alena spat with more anger and venom in her tone than she had ever used in her life.

Harley's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. "I knew that girl was terrible. I made the right choice when I avoided her. She sounds like the type to stab you in the back when it suits her. Don't tell me that you let her words get to you," Harley said. At Alena's silence, Harley scoffed. "Alena, there's nothing wrong with the way you look or dress. I've always thought that you had a sweetheart charm about you."

"...what?"

Harley frowned at Alena's timid tone. "Alena, I'm going to tell you something that I should have told you when I first met you. You need to grow some backbone and be more self-confident. It's alright to be as sweet and kind as you are, but you can't let the words of a spoiled brat like Charlotte Sinclair get to you."

"That's easier said than done, Harley. I know that they're just words, but... I know I'm not beautiful, but I never thought that I was-"

"Don't even _finish_ that sentence!" Harley gasped. Alena quickly closed her mouth. "Alena, honestly, you're _not_ ugly. You're not freakishly _anything,_ hun. There are famous models with exactly your build. So many girls would be ready to claw your eyes out in jealousy. How could anyone think you're ugly? Your fans all adore you."

"I have fans?" Alena questioned and sniffled. Staring down at the floor below her, she could see a small puddle forming from her tears. She wanted to wipe her face, but she didn't dare move.

"Of course. I met one girl who was in _love_ with you. You're a rising star in the Coordinator world," Harley bragged. "Listen to me, hun. Other people can only hurt you as much as you let them. Trust me. You have to be able to walk away from them with your head held high because you're better than that. Okay?"

Something in Harley's tone had Alena questioning what he was leaving out. His words felt heavy with hidden meanings, but Alena didn't pry. Just like her, Harley probably had his own demons. But he always seemed so confident... Alena sniffled again before smiling softly. "If you can do it, so can I, Harley."

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder," Harley joked. His muscles relaxed when he heard Alena offer a small laugh. He wasn't sure if it was the massage that had his skin so heated, but whatever it was left him boiling away inside. How could _anyone_ be mean to Alena? She was the definition of an angel! Only pure evil could do such a thing. Little Miss Sinclair better watch her back. _No one_ messed with his friends.

~:~

"Hello and welcome to the Lavaridge Town Contest! I am your host and MC, Vivian!" Vivian exclaimed into her microphone. She gazed out at the crowds who were cheering loudly for her. With a bright smile, she gestured to the judges' table. "With me today is our panel of esteemed judges. We have Raoul Contesta of the Contest Committee," Vivian introduced.

"It's a pleasure to be here," Mr. Contesta said and gave the audience a small nod.

"Next is Mr. Sukizo of the Pokémon fan club," Vivian said.

"I have a feeling that today is going to be remarkable!" Sukizo said with a grin.

"And finally, our expert judges are rounded out by Lavaridge Town's Nurse Joy!" Vivian finished.

"I've checked out all these Pokémon and given them a clean bill of health for the competition. I can't wait to see what they have in store!" Nurse Joy smiled.

Vivian faced the audience again. "Now, the Lavaridge Town Contest is no joke folks. You're about to see performances from Coordinators who have all won at least one Ribbon. Furthermore, contestants are required to use different Pokémon for the first and second rounds! The Coordinator that can overcome these challenges the best will win _this-_ the Lavaridge Town Ribbon!" Vivian narrated before flashing the black Ribbon with the red trim and golden square for the pin. Vivian smiled brightly as the crowd cheered loudly in excitement. "Let's get the Lavaridge Town Contest underway! Let's have our first contestant on stage!"

~:~

"Alex, you're missing it! It already started!" Winona called out from her place on the couch. She was caught off guard when her younger brother suddenly appeared next to her. He had launched himself over the back of the couch with a bowl of popcorn in hand. Winona shot him a disbelieving look when several kernels were scattered on the seats.

Alex grinned at the screen. The first contestant had just called out their Pokémon. Feeling eyes on him, Alex gave his sister a questioning glance. She was now staring at him expectantly, her brows raised. Offering the bowl of popcorn to her, he asked, "Want some?"

Winona released an exasperated breath before turning back to the television that hung on the yellow wall of their living room. It wasn't anything too fancy. Many people in Fortree City didn't see the point in spending a fortune on electronics anyways. As for their living room, the room was moderately decorated as well as comfortable. Winona and Alex sat on the light purple couch in the room with a wooden coffee table covered in snacks before them.

"This will be her last Ribbon to win," Alex said and reached out for his soda that was on the table.

"Careful. She hasn't won it yet. You don't want to jinx her," Winona said before sipping from her water bottle.

"She'll win. I'm sure she will," Alex said confidently.

Winona didn't respond to her brother's confidence and instead went back to watching the contestants perform. She saw a wide range of Pokémon and Trainers grace the stage (there even was a young man and a creepy Banette). There were some talented Trainers, some that were clearly still beginners, and even some with Flying type Pokémon (she appreciated those acts very much). "I could be a Coordinator that only uses Flying type Pokémon. I definitely understand the Flying type well enough," Winona remarked while stealing some of Alex's popcorn.

After shooting Winona a wary glance, Alex replied, "Sure you can. Maybe Alena will give you some pointers."

" _Thank you, Mallory! What a performance, folks. Let's have our final Coordinator up on the stage. Let's all welcome, Alena!"_ Vivian said to the audience. Both siblings quickly dropped their conversation to tune in to the television.

Alena walked out onto the stage with one hand gripped around her upper arm and a Pokéball in the other. Alex and Winona frowned at the uneasiness in her expression. "She doesn't look so well. I hope she's okay," Winona worried. Alex scooted just a little bit closer to the screen with a frown of concentration on his face.

~:~

Alena tried to take a deep breath, but only ended up pulling in a ragged breath. Deciding to forego her breathing techniques, she gripped Absol's Pokéball. "Alright, Absol. Everyone's eyes are on you!" Alena exclaimed. _'I hope,'_ she thought to herself.

Absol landed on the field with feline grace and offered the crown a cool gaze before shooting a worried glance back at her Trainer. She could sense the unease rolling off Alena in waves. Alena's upset almost drowned Absol in an emotional overload. Over the past few days, she had sensed the downward shift in Alena's emotions. Absol wasn't entirely sure what had her Trainer so troubled, but whatever it was-

"It's okay, Absol. I have complete faith in you," Alena whispered to her. Taking Alena's reassurance to heart, Absol nodded once.

"Alena isn't new to the Contest circuit and neither is her Absol. It's been awhile since we've seen these two together on the Appeals stage. So, let's see what they have for us today," Vivian said before handing the audience's attention over to Alena and Absol.

"Absol, start off with Future Sight!" Alena said. Future Sight was a new move. One that they had worked hard on while still in Rustboro City. It had taken days to master, and several more to work with after mastering the move.

"Absol!" Absol exclaimed as her eyes glowed blue. All around her, small wormholes opened up. Absol quickly formed orbs of purple, blue, and pink energy and fired several off into each wormhole. With the attack now sent, she sealed the wormholes and- in an essence- her fate.

"And Absol has sent her attack through time and space. Who knows when we'll see- ah!" Vivian exclaimed when a wormhole opened up next to her and one of Absol's orbs of energy came shooting out of it.

"Quick Attack, Absol!" Alena commanded. Having already looked into the future, Absol was able to easily predict where the attacks would be coming from. She moved easily and gracefully about the stage, dodging the orbs as well as showing off her full range of motion. Each of the colorful orbs collided with the stage before harmlessly fading away into nothing.

"Absol has turned dodging these powerful attacks into an elegant dance right here on the stage! If I didn't know any better, I would say that Absol could be part Psychic type!" Vivian said.

"Slash, Absol!"

Quickly extending her claws, Absol rounded on the orbs with a gleam in her red eyes. Her claws raked through the orbs, slicing them down the middle before causing them to burst into a sparkling and enchanting display. Finishing up by destroying the last of the orbs above her with her claws, Absol landed on the stage with poise as the last of the sparkles fell down onto the stage.

"Amazing! Let's see what the judges think," Vivian said and drew everyone's attention over to the judges' table. Mr. Contesta flashed a score of 8.9. Mr. Sukizo granted the performance a score of 9.1. Finally, Nurse Joy gave them a score of 9.0. "And Alena has earned a score of 27.0! With that, we bring about the end of the first round. The judges will deliberate and we'll be back shortly with the results!"

~:~

After stepping off the stage, Alena stopped in the empty corridor. She leaned against the wall with a weary sigh. Absol stared up at her in question. Alena released Grovyle from his Pokéball before facing her expectant Pokémon. "I... I owe you two an explanation and an apology. Please don't feel like I don't have faith in you and that I'm worried about you messing up. It's not that. I haven't been feeling so great because I let someone else get into my head and make me feel bad about myself," Alena started. As she was speaking, she slid by her back down onto the ground. Absol stepped closer to her in order to nuzzle Alena's cheek. Grovyle folded his arms and waited for Alena to continue. "But, Harley was right. People can only make me feel as bad as I let them. So, I'm going to try not to let them hurt me anymore. Please bear with me until then?"

"Ab. Absol," Absol cooed while nuzzling Alena's cheek. Grovyle remained unresponsive.

"Grovyle, are you ready for the second round? If we make it to the second round, that is," Alena corrected with a weak laugh.

Grovyle watched her wring her hands out with an unsure look in her eyes. He hadn't seen Alena act this way in a long time. She was no better than the girl who'd first picked him as her starter. He could see that she was waiting for him to respond to her- reassure her. "Gro," Grovyle muttered while looking away and offering her a clawed hand. When her hand had taken his, Grovyle pulled Alena to her feet before walking away without another word.

Alena watched Grovyle go before sighing. "He's not happy with me, Absol."

"Ab?"

"I know Grovyle. He's not happy with me. He wants- expects- me to be stronger than this. He thinks that I can," Alena said before rubbing the back of her neck.

"Absol," Absol said before brushing her horn against Alena's dangling hand. With a small noise of surprise, Alena glanced down at Absol in question. In return, Absol offered her Trainer a patient smile. After a few seconds, Alena returned the smile. The message was easily understood. _'We all know that you can.'_

~:~

" _If you're just tuning in, we've come down to the final match of the Lavaridge Town Contest between Harley and Alena. Both competitors have fought hard in this competition and we're all excited to see what they bring to this battle. Five minutes are on the clock. Begin!"_ the Vivian on the television spoke.

By this point, Winona was frowning slightly at the vision of Alena on the screen. She'd been battling poorly. Well, that was a bit harsh. Alena had been battling decently enough. But Winona was well aware that Alena could do better. What was wrong?

Alex had long since forgotten his various snacks and drinks, his nerves getting the better of him. Grovyle had been battling excellently, but he'd been doing so on his own. Alena had frozen up while onstage on more than one occasion. If it hadn't been for Grovyle's reflexes and quick thinking, they could have both been disqualified by now. It was frustrating!

" _Grovyle, use Pound!"_

_"Dodge it, Cacturne!"_

"What is she _doing!?_ " Alex groaned when the opponent's Cacturne easily dodged Grovyle's attack.

~:~

' _What am I_ doing!?' Alena screamed at herself. Glancing at the points, she felt her heart race at the sight of her points dropping quickly. Looking back at the field, she watched Grovyle pull off a quick dodge from Cacturne's Poison Sting. From across the field, she could see Harley frowning deeply at her. Her mouth opened and closed for several seconds as she tried to form an excuse.

"Cacturne, Pin Missile!" Harley commanded.

"Dodge that, Grovyle!" Alena tried. ' _This is bad...and getting worse!'_

Grovyle was at his wit's end. He wasn't one to quit on a battle or on anything, but he was contemplating it. Cases of Pokémon leaving their Trainers were rare, but if the situation called for it... Grovyle leaped back to put some distance between Cacturne and himself. He could feel Alena's worry grow immensely. Time was running out, points were falling, and he was about to lose it in the middle of this battle! Turning back towards Alena, Grovyle glared harshly at her. "Grovyle!" he shouted directly at his Trainer. "Grovyle gro!"

Alena stopped. ' _That look...'_ She had seen Grovyle give her that look before. It was the look he gave her to snap her out of whatever funk she was in. He'd never looked so intense before. He looked so displeased with her. "I-I'm sorry, Grovyle. You're right," Alena said before slapping both hands to her cheeks once. "I can cry later. Right now, we have a battle to win," Alena finished with a hard edge in her voice and eyes. Softening his gaze, Grovyle nodded once before smirking.

"What's this!? It looks like Grovyle is evolving!" Vivian exclaimed in shock. Alena took out her Pokédex to quickly scan her new Pokémon.

_Sceptile, the Forest Pokémon and the evolved form of Grovyle. Its arms are equipped with razor-sharp leaves, and it moves lightly through tree branches in order to attack its enemies._

"Alright, Sceptile. Let's give them a taste of your new power. Use Dragon Claw!" Alena commanded.

~:~

Winona was about the cheer when the sound of Alex's loud whoop startled her. She jumped slightly as Alex sprang up from his seat while pumping a fist in the air. "There you go, Sunshine!" he exclaimed. Winona steadied her breathing before smiling and turning back to the screen.

Sceptile was speeding towards Cacturne with his claws glowing a bright green color. In less than a second, Sceptile was directly before Cacturne's face and ready to strike. The Dark type had barely enough time to falter backward before Sceptile's Dragon Claw was sending it flying.

" _Bullet Seed, Sceptile!"_ Alena commanded. Sceptile leaped into the air to fire his attack from above and pin the wounded Cacturne to the stage floor.

" _My precious Cacturne! You have to dodge it!"_ Harley exclaimed in shock.

" _And Alena is quickly making a comeback! But precious seconds remain. Can she pull off a win?"_ Vivian questioned.

" _I know we can. Solar Beam, Sceptile!"_

While Cacturne was pulling itself up from the stage floor, Sceptile went about gathering up energy in both the seed pockets on his back and in his large tail. After several seconds, Cacturne was almost back onto its feet.

" _Quick! Use Feint Attack, Cacturne!"_ Harley yelled.

 _"Only thirty seconds remain!"_ Vivian yelled.

"Come _on!"_ Alex was yelling at the television.

Winona was on her feet now, her eyes glued to the action. "Time can't run out! Alena has less points than her opponent!" Winona exclaimed.

With its arm poised to strike, Cacturne floated in the air and zoomed across the stage towards Sceptile while he was still gathering energy. With a cruel smirk, the Dark type struck Sceptile head on despite Sceptile's best attempts to dodge. The sucker punch to the face managed to push Sceptile's head away, but the taller Grass type was resilient. "Scep... _tile!"_ With a low growl and a hard edge in his eye, Sceptile knocked Cacturne's arm away before dropping his jaw to release a close range Solar Beam.

" _Cac_?" Cacturne panicked just before the bright light blurred out his vision.

The attack caused a large puff of dark smoke to cloud the entire stage. In the middle of all the confusion, the countdown clock pinged to signal that time was up. " _Time's up!"_ Vivian still exclaimed despite no one being able to see her or the points board.

"Who won?" Winona asked.

"Come on, Sunshine," Alex whispered urgently while focusing on the screen.

~:~

"That last attack was quite the doozy, folks. But now that the smoke is clearing, we can determine that... Cacturne is unable to continue!" Vivian exclaimed. "The clock's run out and it's battle off for Harley and his Cacturne. This means that Alena and her Sceptile are our winners! Congratulations!"

Alena was in shock. Slowly coming down from her emotional high, she slumped to the ground with a stunned expression on her face. She was only snapped out of her stupor by Sceptile offering her a clawed hand. Glancing up at him, she noticed the proud smirk he was wearing. Eyes watering and a grin starting grow, Alena leapt up to pull Sceptile into a hug. "We did it! Thank you, Sceptile! I couldn't do it without you," Alena said with a few happy tears streaming down her face. Completely caught off guard, Sceptile froze up. After several seconds, he let out a slow sigh before slowly wrapping his arms around his Trainer to return the hug.

"Alena, it's my pleasure to present to you the Lavaridge Town Ribbon. Congratulations," Mr. Contesta said as he approached Alena. He offered her the black and red Ribbon with a small smile. Behind him, Vivian, Harley, Mr. Sukizo, and Nurse Joy were all smiling brightly.

With a nod, Alena accepted the Ribbon. "Thank you very much. I've got my fifth Ribbon! Next stop: the Grand Festival!" Alena cheered. Sceptile smirked and nodded once in agreement.

"And with that, we bring this year's Lavaridge Town Contest to a close. We hope to see you next time!" Vivian wrapped up the show.

**With her fifth and final Ribbon securely under her belt, Alena has gained more than entry into the Grand Festival. With the help of her friends and Pokémon, she gained a valuable lesson to take with her into her bright future.**

**To be continued...**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: I'm so proud of Alena. I know that sometimes, it can be hard to drown out the voices of others and only focus on the voices of those who matter. I think that this is a crucial lesson for everyone to learn. We have to be our own cheerleader sometimes and try to focus on what's important. We have to remember that we can't allow others to hurt us with their words. Thanks for reading, yeah? Vote and comment! :D
> 
> Alena's Pokémon:
> 
> Sceptile {Ability: Overgrow} - Dragon Claw, Leaf Blade, Solar Beam, Bullet Seed
> 
> Absol {Ability: Super Luck}- Slash, Quick Attack, Perish Song, Future Sight
> 
> Manectric {Ability: Lightning Rod} - Tackle, Spark, Bite, Thunderbolt
> 
> Lairon {Ability: Sturdy} - Take Down, Iron Defense, Metal Claw, Earthquake
> 
> Swablu {Ability: Natural Cure}- Sing, Peck, Swift


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: It feels as though every time I write a new character, I end up loving them more than ever. Paul, Brock, Paul, Harley, PAUL... and I'm sure the list will continue. ;)
> 
> Finally, it's time for the Pokémon trivia! Without looking up the answer,
> 
> Can you name all the pure Dragon-type Pokémon???
> 
> (Hint: There are only 12 pure Dragon-type Pokémon so far. Good luck. :D)

**With five Ribbons under her belt and the Grand Festival still weeks away, Alena has more than enough time to get ready for her appearance on the big stage. Tonight, however, isn't for training...**

"Anya, where are we going?" Alena asked with suspicion lacing her tone. With her eyes covered by a black scarf, she hesitantly allowed Anya to lead her along the halls of the Pokémon Center. The Lavaridge Town Contest had concluded yesterday and Alena had been expecting Anya to throw some sort of celebration for her. Alena held back a smirk as she continued to stumble slightly.

"Don't worry about that. It's a surprise. My best work yet. You'll never be able to guess what it is!" Anya said with a giggle. Alena refrained from blurting out, " _Is it a party?"_ She didn't want to ruin Anya's hard work. She'd still _act_ surprised when Anya took off her blindfold, however. "Okay. Stop. I'm going to take off your blindfold," Anya said in a tone that barely hid her excitement.

Alena smiled patiently as she felt Anya pull the scarf away from her eyes. Once the cloth was removed, Alena blinked her eyes open to clear away the spots that had formed. When she looked around her, Alena frowned slightly. This wasn't a party...

" _Tada!_ What do you think?" Anya exclaimed ecstatically before dashing around her sister and gesturing widely. When Alena focused on what Anya was gesturing to, she froze. It was a dress- a simple, navy blue dress. It had spaghetti straps that crisscrossed in the back to support the halter top. The bottom was long and sweeping. It was simple enough, but it looked surprisingly elegant. "I wanted to make it pink or red, but Harley thought that you would like a darker color better," Anya explained. "And look! Harley picked out the _perfect_ pair of shoes to go with it! I picked the accessories though."

Alena was speechless. Her mouth gaped for several seconds before she turned her stunned eyes onto Anya. Her little sister was staring up at her quietly with vulnerable fear in her eyes. Anya actually looked... nervous. For the first time ever, it looked as if someone's criticisms could actually break Anya. Alena smiled brightly. "It's so pretty, Anya. Did you design this?" Alena responded.

Anya visibly perked up at her sister's praise. She had been a little worried that Alena wouldn't like it. "Yep! Harley helped me put it together. I did most of the work though. I made it for you as a gift for winning your fifth Ribbon. I thought about giving it to you after you won the Grand Festival, but I couldn't wait any longer."

Alena fingered the soft material of the dress. "I like it a lot. Thank you so much, Anya. It's beautiful," Alena said.

"Great! When you're finished changing, just head downstairs. Nurse Joy was nice enough to let us have the cafeteria for the party. I'm opposed to throwing a party in a cafeteria, but Harley promised that he would take care of the catering and decorations so it probably won't be too bad," Anya said before turning to leave the room.

"Wait. _What_?" Alena balked.

"The party's happening downstairs. You didn't think the party was the surprise. Did you? I'm not _that_ predictable, Alena," Anya giggled before leaving.

Alena's jaw dropped. Anya expected her to change into _that?_ It was a nice gift- one Alena would always cherish. But to actually wear it? In public? Alena ran her fingertips over the material again. "It _is_ a really nice dress... If it's just Anya and Harley, it won't be so bad," Alena said with a small shrug before turning to go take a shower.

After several minutes of dealing with the dress, Alena was sure that she'd done something wrong. Was the dress _supposed_ to expose her belly like this? She twisted and turned before the mirror in the crop top and maxi skirt, examining her appearance from all sides. Taking a deep breath, Alena decided to leave it be. It was an inch and a half of skin at the most. She could do this.

Slipping on the golden bangles Anya had picked out, she turned to the shoes. They were a pair of nude, strappy heels. She'd never worn anything other than sneakers and flip flops before. "The heels aren't _too_ high. It shouldn't be too bad," Alena tried to psych herself up.

Once she was completely dressed, she twisted and turned before the mirror again. She looked...nice. Rubbing her arms once, Alena sucked in a deep breath. Eyes closed, she exhaled slowly. "It's now or never," she whispered to herself.

As she walked away from the comfort and privacy of her room, Alena clasped and unclasped her hands before her. She could hear some pop music blasting through the building the bass vibrating the walls slightly. She sighed. That didn't sound like a small party. Maybe Anya and Harley just went a little overboard?

The stairs from the rooms led down into the cafeteria. When she peered down at the bottom of the stairs, Alena could see balloons moving across the floors, some lights flashing around in the dim room. The music was so loud now, she could feel it pulsing in her chest. Her heart rate picked up. She was just about to turn tail and run when she heard what sounded like Anya's loud voice cry out, "You made it! _Finally!"_

Alena's head sunk as she slowly descended the steps (she didn't want to step on the skirt and completely embarrass herself). Anya was wearing a long, white, loose spaghetti strap dress with pink sash around her waist that tied in the back. Her long red hair was curled and parted at the side. It was a simple ensemble, but it looked extremely stylish on her. She grinned happily up at her sister before taking her hand and pulling her down into the party.

Alena was stunned. Just how had Harley set all this up? Streamers, balloons, food, drinks, nice music, a few strobe lights... There were so many people here! The room wasn't too bright, but bright enough to make out faces. She was so busy taking in the transformed room, that she hadn't noticed that Anya had pulled her onto a makeshift stage at the front of the room.

"Hello? Excuse me everyone!" Anya said into a microphone. Alena immediately started to panic. Everyone was turning towards them with expectant faces. Alena tried to smile, but it felt a bit forced. "I want to thank everyone for coming. It means a lot to me and my sister that you're all here to celebrate her earning her fifth Ribbon," Anya said to everyone. Alena blushed deeply at the resounding cheers from the guests. All these people came here for her? "I had wanted to throw this party after Alena won the Grand Festival, but I couldn't wait anymore. So why don't we get this party started?" Anya exclaimed with a happy smile.

The smile on Alena's face was no longer forced. She was sure that she didn't know half as much people as were in attendance, but she wasn't complaining. She'd felt so embarrassed and nervous before, but now she felt... light, happy, and even a little pretty (if she said so herself).

Anya hugged Alena tightly before leading her off the stage and towards a small crowd of people. When Alena picked out a certain face in the crowd, her happiness exploded. "Dad!" she exclaimed before rushing over to embrace her father as fast as she could in her heels.

"Hey, kid. It's great to see you," Isaac said while rubbing a hand along his eldest daughter's back. After several seconds, he held her away at arm's length to observe her fully.

"I know it's not my usual style. Anya made it and she gave it to me as a gift and..." Alena started nervously.

"It's nice. I like it. I never realized how much you look like your mother," Isaac commented mostly to himself. Alena smiled at his words.

"I _told_ Anya that navy blue would be better."

Harley came sauntering over wearing a white button up with a green vest buttoned over it and a fitted pair of green pants. Alena giggled lightly with a large grin at the sight of him. "Thank you so much, Harley. I can't believe you did all this," Alena said.

"Oh come _on._ I'd do anything for you, Hun. This was child's play," Harley said before embracing Alena tightly.

"Congratulations, Alena," Winona said as she approached Alena.

"How'd you guys even get here? The Contest just ended yesterday," Alena said as she looked around at all the people congratulating her. Norman and Caroline were in a one-armed embrace as they smiled at her from their place next to Winona.

"Anya had this set up for weeks. We were all just waiting for you to win so we could celebrate," Winona explained.

Alena's jaw dropped. "But what if I _hadn't_ won!?" she exclaimed.

"Of course you were going to win. Don't be ridiculous!" Harley scoffed. Alena shook her head at them all. Their faith in her was uplifting, but also slightly worrying.

~:~

After about twenty minutes, Alena had received congratulatory wishes from about fifty people. She'd already seen Drew, Roxanne, and a few people claiming to be her "biggest fan". She just walked around the room idly, not bothering to join the many people occupying the makeshift dance floor. Dancing wasn't one of her strong points.

She was taking a sip of her fruit punch when she felt a warm hand rest on her bare shoulder. She jumped slightly before turning quickly to face the person who had touched her. "Alex! You made it," Alena commented with a smile before pulling him in for a hug. They were both a bit surprised by her sudden show of affection, but neither (wisely) bothered to comment on it.

"Of course I am, Sunshine. Why wouldn't I be?" he laughed lightly. To be honest, parties weren't his _favorite_ place to be. He was a bit of a lone wolf in his own right. But when Anya had invited him to the party, he _had_ to say yes.

"I saw Winona early, but I didn't see you with her. I wasn't sure if you were here or not," Alena explained. "But I'm happy that you are."

Alex let a small smile creep onto his face. "Me too. I'm surprised I made it onto the invite list. This place is pretty packed. I didn't know that you knew so many people," Alex joked.

"I'm pretty sure that most of these people heard of this party through Harley. I'm meeting all sorts of new people, but they all seem to know me though," Alena said.

"Harley?" Alex questioned.

" _Here I am!"_

Alex was surprised by the sudden appearance of an older boy with long, purple hair. He held a drink in one hand and had a large smile on his face. He casually slung an arm around Alena's shoulders as he pulled her closer to him. He couldn't explain it, but Alex was suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Harley, this is Alex. Alex, this is Harley," Alena introduced.

"It's nice to meet you, Alex. I'm Alena's resident best friend and party planner," Harley introduced himself with a sly grin.

"It's nice to meet you," Alex replied.

"Alena, how could you hide this one from me? I thought we were the best of friends. You would think that would mean that I'd be the first to meet your hubby," Harley commented. Unfortunately, Alena had been in the middle of sipping her punch when Harley had said this. When his words had registered on her brain, all proper drinking functions seized up and she nearly choked. Alex reached out to steady her with a look of concern on his face, doing an admirable job of ignoring Harley's words.

"My _what?"_ Alena choked out.

"Your hubby. You know... Your boyfriend," Harley explained as if she were slow. "It's amazing because I seem to recall you telling me just a few days ago that you didn't _have_ a boyfriend," Harley said with a wicked grin.

Alena blushed heavily (she was even redder than her punch at this point). She glanced from Harley to Alex, her mouth opening and closing with no words coming out. "It's okay, Hun. I can tell when I'm being a third wheel. I'll leave you two to get back to what you were doing," Harley said while shooting the pair a playful wink. They watched him saunter away speechlessly.

Alena wasn't sure that it was possible, but she felt even more awkward now that Harley had left. Swallowing thickly, she turned back to Alex. Hopefully, her blush would fade soon. Alex was watching Harley leave with a curious expression. Alena was feeling grateful that his gaze wasn't on her. "He sure is...unique," Alex said after some time.

"He's a good friend. He set this entire party up and helped Anya put this outfit together for me. I'm really lucky to have him," Alena said honestly. Thankfully, the amount of tense awkwardness between them was fading.

"Anya and Harley made that?" Alex asked as he pointed to her.

Alena stiffened slightly. She could swear that he was pointing to her exposed tummy. She felt the sudden urge to shield herself. "Is it... Is it _bad_?" Alena asked, her nervousness showing on her face.

"No! That's not what I meant," Alex rushed to explain. "It's really nice. It's nice seeing you in something other than jeans and sneakers. Not that the jeans and sneakers aren't nice too. I'm just saying..."

Alex could feel his face start to flame. What was wrong with him? Why was it suddenly so hard to talk to Alena? It'd always been so easy before... Maybe it was the clothes? The party?

"Oh... Well I like your outfit, too. It's nice to see you in something other than a tee-shirt," Alena said with a shy smile.

Maybe it was _his_ clothes? Alex glanced down at his black button up and jeans. He had to admit that his usual outfit was where he felt the most comfortable. He couldn't remember the last time he'd dressed so nicely. "Uh... Yeah. Harley's dress code. I'm surprised he didn't say anything about my jeans and sneakers," he offered up. Glancing up at Alena again, he could see her fiddling with her cup and her hair was falling into her face. He felt the urge to do _something_ , but hesitated. Suddenly, she stood up straight while flipping her hair out of her face in one smooth motion. She offered him another smile and he couldn't help but return the gesture.

~:~

The next morning, Alena felt extremely tranquil and happy. The sun was shining brightly down on her through the bedroom window and she felt completely well-rested. Sitting up in bed, she stretched with a wide grin. "Anya, time to get up," Alena called out across the bedroom towards Anya's bed. When she received no response, Alena got out of her bed to approach Anya's. Upon closer inspection, Alena realized that Anya's bed was empty. With a puzzled frown, Alena started to make up the bed.

Alena was half-way through pulling on her shoes and Anya still hadn't shown herself. Maybe she was helping Harley clean up the cafeteria downstairs? "In that case, I'd better go help them," Alena said to herself before leaving the room in a hurry. As she walked towards the cafeteria, flashes of last night's celebrations displayed themselves in her mind. Alena barely suppressed her growing grin. Honestly, it was the first time that she'd gone to a party that was so lively. She'd never pictured herself having fun at things like that, but she had happily proven herself wrong.

When she stepped into the cafeteria, Alena was surprised to find it completely devoid of any trash or party decorations. Instead, all the tables had been returned and the room held no hint of ever hosting a party.

"Alena! There you are!"

Anya had been the one to call out to her. She was sitting at a table with Isaac with all of Alena's Pokémon around them. Everyone was eating and chatting away happily, still riding off of the good vibes of last night's celebration. When Isaac pulled up a chair for her, Alena slipped easily into the seat. They'd even had some fruit and pastries waiting for her for breakfast. "Thanks. This looks great. I'm surprised you guys got everything cleaned up so quickly," Alena commented.

"We all got up early and took care of it. All the Pokémon helped," Anya explained.

"Now that you're awake, you can answer the big question, Alena. Where are you going next?" Isaac started the new conversation topic.

"I have no idea. The Grand Festival is still a few months away. I was just going to keep training with my Pokémon until then," Alena responded.

"In that case, you can come home to train," Isaac inputted, barely hiding his excitement.

"No way, Dad! We can't go home yet. There's still _so_ many places left to see," Anya disagreed. Isaac frowned slightly, but didn't respond. He had a feeling that Anya wouldn't want to come home. He'd never initially pegged her for the outdoorsy type, but she seemed to enjoy it now. Isaac nodded once in acceptance.

Alena glanced between her sister and father anxiously. "What Anya means to say is, we can keep travelling for a little while longer and then we'll come home for about a month. Right, Anya?" Alena said and shot her sister a look.

Anya pouted slightly, but nodded nonetheless. It would do no good to argue. She needed Alena to travel with her or her Dad would surely make her stay home. At least she got another month to travel some more and see some new cities.

"So which way are you headed next?" Isaac questioned as he finished off his breakfast.

"We'll walk back to Mauville. We'll be heading towards Lilycove. We'll be able to slow down, explore a bit more, and maybe visit Sootopolis City. Does that sound alright to you, Anya?" Alena asked.

"Of course! We have to go to the Sootopolis Gym to meet Wallace," Anya suggested.

"Wallace?" Isaac questioned curiously.

"He's a famous Top Coordinator, Dad. He's also the Leader of the Sootopolis Gym," Alena informed her father.

Isaac nodded thoughtfully at the new information. "Well, make sure you get as much out of him as you can. And when you're done, don't forget your old dad," Isaac said with a small smile. Alena returned the smile while Anya slipped Manectric some food under the table.

~:~

Quickly ducking between some rocks, she was able to hide from her pursuers. Her heart was pounding within her ribcage as she slowly peered out from where she was hiding.

" ** _CARVANHA!_** "

With a frightened flinch, she backed up further into her underwater cave, her body trembling terribly. A school of Carvanha had been chasing her all morning after she had accidentally swam into their territory. She'd tried to explain to them that she hadn't meant them any harm, but they wouldn't hear of it. After the amount of close calls she'd had, her luck must be close to running out.

Noticing the quiet around her, she slowly swam towards the small entrance. Hesitantly, she exited the cave. Her luck hadn't run out yet! With more speed than she knew she had, she swam quickly away from the scene.

" ** _CARVANHA! CARVANHA!_** "

If fish could sweat, a cold sweat would have already broken out all over her scaly body. Her muscles were begging for a break, her heart was pounding rapidly, and she just couldn't seem to pull in enough oxygen through her gills.

" ** _CARVANHAAA!_** "

With a final burst of energy, she swam up towards the surface of the river. Maybe they would leave her alone if they saw that she was heading up onto the land? Surely they wouldn't chase her up ther-

" ** _CARVANHA!_** "

A bubbly, gurgled scream escaped her mouth just before she broke to water's surface with as much energy as she could. She couldn't see where she was going, but as she fell towards the riverbank, she heard some humans crying out in shock. Her wide eyes glanced around rapidly as she took in her surroundings just before she fell and accurately collided with a human's face.

~:~

"Alena, what do you think of these shoes?" Anya questioned while shoving yet another sketch under her sister's nose.

Alena glanced down at the sketchbook before pursing her lips in thought. "They look nice. But I don't think I could wear them," Alena replied honestly.

Anya immediately pouted. She'd recently taken to showing all her designs to Alena. After bringing her first creation to life (with Harley's help), Anya felt an immense rush of motivation and inspiration. Who else could she trust to honestly critique her work besides Alena? "Why not?" Anya huffed.

"Because..." Alena started. She chose her words carefully before responding. "Because the shoes don't really provide a lot of support. See? The heel is really high and if I tried to wear them, I'd probably sprain my ankle."

Anya pursed her lips in thought before gazing down at her sketch. "Well, _I_ like them. Maybe I can make a pair that you would like?" Anya muttered to herself. Despite being on the road, Anya quickly pulled out her trusty Pichu pencil and jotted down some notes.

The girls hadn't spent much time in Mauville City (since they'd already passed through the city twice) and were already travelling through Route 119 ahead of schedule. The sun was not too hot and the breeze was not too cold on this perfect day. Alena took a deep breath of fresh air with a bright smile. Finally exiting the denser foliage along the Route, the girls were met with the sight of a flowing river and many people fishing alongside it.

A man who appeared to be a salesman quickly called out when he spotted them. He rushed over in his light green kimono with a wide grin on his face. "Would you two young ladies like to experience the chance of a lifetime?" he started while rubbing his hands together eagerly.

"What-?" Alena started.

The man quickly cut her off in a hurried state, "All these folks are taking part in a competition of sorts- a Magikarp catching contest. Listen, I live not too far from here and I know that around this time of year, Magikarp begin their yearly migration out to sea to mate. Hoards of 'em swim through _this_ very river on their way to the ocean."

"Who cares about some Magikarp?" Anya questioned skeptically with her arms folded over her chest. Alena looked down at her sister reprimandingly, but the salesman didn't hesitate.

"I'll _tell_ ya who, little lady. Anyone who's _anyone_ cares! Like I said, I'm having a Magikarp catching contest. I rent you some rods, you catch some Magikarp, and the person who catches the heaviest Magikarp is the winner!" the man explained and rubbed his hands together some more.

Anya rolled her eyes while Alena frowned dubiously. "What do we win?" Anya asked.

"You get the most valuable thing in the world. Not only do you get to keep any Magikarp you catch, but you also get this special gift!" the man said and showed the girls a beautifully giftwrapped box. A large, red bow sparkled at the top, truly making it look like a decent prize.

"What's _in_ the box?" Anya questioned with a narrowed gaze.

The man flinched a little bit before laughing too loudly. "What a cute kid! I'll tell you what. I normally charge ten dollars for every thirty minutes with my rods, but for you two, I'll only charge five. What do you say? Care to test your fishing skills?"

"Not really," Anya answered at the same time that Alena said, "Sure. Why not?"

" _Great!_ Let me get you set up," the man said and rushed away to get some rods.

"Alena," Anya warned.

"He's just trying to make a living, Anya. It's only five dollars. We fish for thirty minutes and then we can go," Alena said while taking out some money.

"Have fun. I'll be waiting over there when you realize that this is a scam," Anya said a bit loudly. Alena could see a few people pause in their fishing to stare at them curiously while the salesman froze on the spot. Anya was most likely right. But the guy seemed desperate to make a quick buck so Alena decided to take pity on him. She'd never actually fished before, but it didn't look too hard.

Once the salesman had his five dollars, he quickly ushered (more like pushed) Alena towards the river bank, shoved an old rod in her hands, and left her alone to con - _ahem_ , speak to some other potential customers. With a small sigh, Alena released Sceptile from his ball. "Sceptile, get ready. I probably won't catch anything. But, just in case we need to battle, you can wait with me," Alena said.

"Sceptile," Sceptile said with a nod before lounging back on the grassy riverbank to soak up some sun in the meantime.

Almost twenty minutes had gone by without a single bite. After every five minute interval, Anya would loudly call out how much time Alena had left. Alena did her best to ignore her sister's griping as she sighed loudly. Not a single person had gotten a bite so far. Some were even mumbling about getting their money back.

Alena was about to call it quits when Sceptile suddenly sat up. "Sceptile?" Alena questioned him, but Sceptile was staring at the water's surface. Suddenly, a loud splash drew everyone's attention. A Pokémon had suddenly sprang out of the water and was now several feet in the air. It wobbled a bit before falling towards the riverbank.

"Alena! Look out!" Anya exclaimed, a bit too late.

The fish hit Alena directly to the face, easily bowling her over before flopping around all over her. Alena tried to push the frantic fish off of her, but her attempts were doing more harm than good. Suddenly, someone shouted out "CARVANHA!" at the top of their lungs just before everyone dropped their rods and fled from the riverbank. The person's exclamation seemed to get the fish (that was still flopping all over Alena) even more excited.

With wide eyes, Alena gaped at the 20+ Carvanha that were gathering at the water's surface. Sceptile was on his feet in an instant, quickly sliding in front of Alena protectively. When the Carvanha all launched themselves out of the water at once, Alena quickly curled up around the panicking fish.

"Scep- _tile!"_ Sceptile exclaimed before attacking the Carvanha hoard with some well-placed Leaf Blades. To finish them off, Sceptile quickly fired a Solar Beam at them all, roughly pushing them back down into the river with immense force.

Alena opened an eye warily when she no longer heard the Carvanhas' rough voices. She spotted Sceptile standing at the riverbank cooly before he turned his back to the river to approach her. "Thanks, Sceptile," Alena said in a breathy voice just as Anya rushed over to her sister's side.

Anya was about to question Alena's well-being, but stopped when she spotted the Pokémon that was trembling on Alena's lap. "What _is_ that thing!?" Anya exclaimed.

Alena glanced down at the Pokémon with a puzzled expression. The fish was about two feet tall with brown scales, blue tattered fins, big pink lips, and deep-set eyes. It was staring up at Alena in surprise and slight fear. Alena took out her Pokédex to scan the fish.

_Feebas, the Fish Pokémon. Although extremely ragged, it is a tough Pokémon that can live in almost any kind of water. Because of its hopelessly shabby appearance, it seems as if few Trainers raise it. Its evolved form is Milotic._

"That sounds mean," Alena frowned at the Pokédex.

"But, not untrue," Anya replied and folded her arms.

"Why were all those Carvanha chasing after it?" Alena questioned as she inspected the Feebas.

"Who cares? Just toss it back and let's get out of here," Anya said and turned to leave.

At Anya's words, Feebas suddenly began flopping around on Alena's legs once again with a terrified expression in its eyes. "Hey, calm down, Feebas. It's okay. We won't send you back down there," Alena soothed and ran her hand along Feebas's slippery, wet scales. It wasn't a pleasant sensation, but she ignored her feelings of slight disgust.

"Well, what do you expect to do with it then?" Anya huffed.

Alena stared down at Feebas for some time before smiling brightly at it. "I'll catch it," Alena responded simply.

" _What?_ Why? Alena, you're a Coordinator. Since you don't remember, I'll remind you that a Coordinator's Pokémon are supposed to be beautiful, elegant, and cute. That thing is nowhere near cute," Anya said bluntly while pointing at Feebas. Feebas' fins seemed to droop slightly at that.

"Anya! Don't be so mean! There's more to someone than how they look. If you judged everyone by their appearance, you'll be missing out on meeting some really great people. Plus, people who judge others on how they look on the outside are only showing how bad _they_ look on the inside," Alena reprimanded her sister seriously. Anya quickly closed her mouth while Feebas gaped slightly. "Now, what do you say we have a battle Feebas?" Alena questioned while smiling down at the fish. Feebas stared up at Alena with an astonished expression. Anya was still speechless.

For the battle, Feebas was treading water at the surface of the river while Alena faced off against it with Sceptile on her side. Feebas narrowed her eyes as she glared up at Sceptile. The Grass type remained aloof, however. Suddenly, Feebas launched herself out of the water in an attempt to Tackle Sceptile.

"Dodge it and use Bullet Seed!" Alena commanded.

Sceptile smoothly moved out of Feebas' way, catching her by surprise. Sceptile quickly fired several rounds of seeds at her body. "Sceptile-tile-tile!"

Feebas fell onto the grassy riverbank with immense pain shooting through her side. While she was laying on the grass, she quickly started to flop around. Sceptile paused and stared down at her in disbelief.

"What's it... _doing?"_ Anya questioned incredulously.

"I think it's using Splash," Alena commented as they all watched Feebas flop around uselessly on the grass.

"It's not too late to walk away," Anya muttered to her sister.

"Pound, Sceptile!"

Sceptile didn't bother putting too much force into his attack. With a quick sweep of his tail, Feebas was unconscious and no longer Splashing. Alena quickly threw her Pokéball at the Water type. It only took a few seconds for the ball to click and cease it's shaking. Once Alena had retrieved her new Feebas, she smiled at Sceptile and Anya.

"I'm not sure I'll ever understand what you're thinking, Alena. But, I guess if anyone can make a Feebas pretty enough to win a Contest, it's you," Anya said with a shrug. Alena smiled brightly in thanks.

~:~

"Look, Anya! We made it!" Alena exclaimed happily as she stopped at the top of a hill. With a few huffs and puffs, Anya had caught up to her sister. Bent slightly at the waist, Anya tried to catch her breath. "There's Fortree City! Hurry up, Anya!"

"Alena!" Anya cried out after her sister. Anya watched Alena rush down the hill with an excited laugh. With an exaggerated groan, Anya followed after her sister at a much more reasonable pace.

Alena couldn't contain her excitement as she descended towards the city in the treetops. She couldn't explain it. She just really happy to see Alex...and Winona. She'd only seen them both a little over a week ago, but the thought of seeing her friends again left her feeling bubbly inside.

After taking her first step into Fortree City, Alena was greeted by a few people who recognized her, but not by the ones she was really looking forward to seeing. She greeted them in return, but her smile fell slightly as she looked around at the faces around her.

"Alena, please slow down!" Anya cried out after her sister once she had finally caught up to Alena.

Alena was about to respond to Anya, but when she spotted a familiar head of dark blue hair, the words died on her tongue. With renewed energy, Alena rushed towards the person that was currently carrying several grocery bags. Without any notice, she embraced the person tightly from behind.

"W-what? ...Sunshine? What are you doing here?" Alex's surprised voice stuttered out. He craned his neck behind him to try to get a better look at Alena, but her face was currently nestled between his shoulderblades. He could feel her arms wrapped tightly around his chest as she laughed at him from behind. He could feel the eyes of several people watching them and a slight blush began to color in the freckled bridge of his nose.

"Just passing through," Alena answered vaguely. When she finally released him, Alena quickly took up the place at his side with a small smile in place.

"Can we finally stop running now?" Anya's tired voice spoke up from behind the pair. They both turned to see Anya's hunched form as she panted loudly.

"Sure. Why don't you come home with me? I was just heading back," Alex said.

"Let me help you," Alena offered while slipping some of the bags out of Alex's hand.

"Thanks. So, what are you guys really doing here? I thought you would have gone home after winning your last Ribbon," Alex commented.

"We will. But first, Anya and I are travelling to Sootopolis City so that I can meet Wallace. I was hoping to learn a few things from him," Alena explained.

Alex pursed his lips in thought for several seconds before grinning widely. "Why don't we have a battle, Alena?" Alex suggested.

Alena nearly faltered in her step. "A battle? Why?"

"I'm curious to see how much you've learned since the last time we battled," Alex explained.

"I...You'd probably beat me in a battle, Alex," Alena acknowledged honestly.

"You won't know that until you try. Come on. What have you got to lose?" Alex questioned with a small smile.

"O-okay. Sure!" Alena smiled back at him.

Anya raised a brow as she walked behind the pair. They were staring at each other. They weren't even saying anything! Did everyone act so weirdly once they get older? Anya shook her head before quickly running after them.

~:~

Winona had been kind enough to lend Alena and Alex the Gym's battlefield for their battle. Winona and Anya were currently standing at the side of the battlefield along with the Gym's official referee. Alex and Alena were occupying the platforms at the ends of the field.

"I can't wait to see how far you've come, Sunshine," Alex commented with a ready grin.

"You too. I'm sure that your Heracross must be super strong now," Alena replied.

"This will be a six-on-six battle! The battle will be over when all the Pokémon on one side are unable to continue! Pokémon substitutions are allowed! Trainers will now choose their first Pokémon!" The referee announced loudly.

"I'm going with Swablu," Alena said and released her Pokémon.

Pincher, you're up!" Alex declared and released his Pinsir.

"The battle will now begin!" the referee shouted.

"Alena _definitely_ has the advantage here. Swablu's part Flying type and Pinsir's an overgrown bug," Anya declared proudly.

"I wouldn't count Alex out yet," Winona responded.

"You're just saying that because he's your brother," Anya said. Winona smiled in response, but didn't say anything.

"Swablu, use Peck!" Alena commanded and started off the battle.

"Dodge it!" Alex countered.

As Swablu dove in towards Pincher with fierce determination in her eyes, Pincher steadied himself on the field. At the very last second, however, Pincher was able to easily sidestep and dodge Swablu's attack. "Blu?" Swablu questioned with wide, astonished eyes.

"Use Guillotine!"

Before Swablu could make her escape, Pincher grabbed her small body with his glowing pincers before thrusting her body down into the battlefield. A small cloud of dust had risen upon impact, but it quickly settled to reveal Swablu's unconscious form.

"Swablu is unable to continue!" the referee shouted.

"With one hit?" Anya questioned dubiously.

Alena tucked Swablu's ball away before reaching for another one. With a deep breath, she released her second Pokémon. "Feebas, all eyes are on you!"

Alex stared down at Feebas in confusion before smiling. "You caught a new Pokémon? I can't want to see how you do," Alex said.

Truthfully, she hadn't had a lot of practice battling with Feebas. But, now was good a time as any. "Feebas, use Tackle!"

"Use Vice Grip!" Alex countered. Pincher allowed Feebas to launch a full-bodied tackle into his torso, but he hardly flinched from the attack. His horns began to glow white as he reached down to grab Feebas between them and squeeze onto her scaly body. Pincher didn't need to hold on too long before Feebas slipped into unconsciousness.

"Feebas is unable to battle! Pincher wins!"

Alena frowned sadly while recalling her Pokémon. That Pinsir was really strong. It was probably the strongest Pokémon she'd ever faced.

"I think I'll change Pokémon if that's alright with you. Scythe, I choose you!" Alex declared and released his Scyther. If he had known just how much stronger his Pokémon were, he wouldn't have started out with Pincher. Scythe should be closer to Alena's Pokémons' level.

"Absol, all eyes are on you!" Alena exclaimed and tossed Absol's Pokéball. She couldn't give up _now_. She was at least going to finish this battle. It didn't matter that Alex was tough. There would always be tough opponents. How was she going to get stronger if she always ran from every battle?

"Quick Attack, Scythe!"

"Use your Quick Attack, Absol!"

Scythe disappeared in a flash and reappeared just before Absol. "Scy-ther!" Scyther exclaimed just as it brought one of its white scythes down towards Absol. Just before the move could hit, Absol had vanished on the spot and left Scythe striking only dirt.

"Future Sight, Absol!" Alena commanded.

Scythe turned around quickly and spotted Absol firing off its attack into several wormholes around her. With a narrowed gaze, Scythe took off towards Absol again.

"Fury Cutter, Scythe!" Alex commanded. With glowing scythes, Scythe slashed at Absol repeatedly. Absol dodged each swipe gracefully, showing off her full range of movement and flexibility. "Absol sure knows how to move. If this were a Contest battle, I would have already lost a lot of points. Scythe, use Double Team and then follow up with Fury Cutter!"

"Scy-ther!"

Alena's jaw dropped as seven different Scythes were now surrounding Absol. Her red eyes widened as she looked around at them anxiously. "Relax! Use Slash!" Alena shouted down at her Pokémon.

Scythe and Absol were locked in a makeshift sword fight in the middle of the battlefield. All of Scythe's copies were too much to take on at once, however. Absol could feel their sharp blades striking at her body, but she continued on with the fight. Thinking quickly, she was able to dodge an incoming Scythe copy by leaping over it and away from them all. Just as she was about to ready herself for another bought, she felt the attack she had sent into the future beginning to appear.

"Quick Absol! Use Slash again!" Alena called out.

With a smirk, Absol dashed towards the small fleet of Scythes that were flying her way. Just before they could exchange blows, several wormholes opened up behind Absol and began releasing many blasts of Psychic energy directly at all the Scythe copies. The copies all came to an immediate stop, their eyes wide. "Ab-sol!" Absol cried out as she slashed her glowing claws across the Scythe that was closest to her. The Future Sight took out all the Scythe copies before hitting the original.

"Way to go, Absol!" Alena cheered.

"Nice one. But you'll need more than that. Use Wing Attack, Scythe!" Alex commanded.

"Quick Attack!" Alena countered.

Scythe and Absol rushed at each other quickly, each with fierce determination in their eyes. At the last second, Absol smirked before leaping over Scythe. The Bug type was caught off guard by Absol's fake-out and quickly skidded to a stop.

"Slash, Absol!"

"Above you, Scythe!"

Scythe looked up with just enough time to see Absol's dark smirk and her glowing claws headed right for him. He attempted to dodge the attack, but Absol's claws were still able to land a critical hit.

"Scythe is unable to battle! Absol is the winner!" the referee announced. Absol grinned slightly as she panted heavily. That was a lot more difficult that she thought it would have been.

"Good job, Sunshine. But don't get used to it. We're just getting started. Aries, you're up!" Alex exclaimed and released his Ariados.

"Geez. _Another_ bug? Doesn't he have any Pokémon that _aren't_ totally creepy?" Anya said. When she spotted Alex broadly grinning down at her, she rolled her eyes.

"Are you going to stick with your Absol?" the referee questioned Alena.

"Um..." Alena worried and glanced down at Absol. Absol had just gotten her breathing under control and was nodding back up at Alena reassuringly. "Yes. I'm sticking with Absol," Alena smiled.

"Then let's get this started. Aries, use String Shot!"

"Dodge it, Absol!"

Despite Alena's frantic urging, Absol was unable to dodge the sticky strings and was quickly tied down. She struggled desperately from within the webbing, but only served to wriggle in place on the battlefield.

"Fury Swipes!" Alex commanded. Absol stared in wide-eyed panic as Ariados creeped towards her with the tips of his front legs glowing. Relying purely on instinct, Absol opened her mouth to release a powerful Perish Song. Alex's eyes widened slightly in shock as the black and red waves hit both Aries and Absol. When Aries's Fury Swipes struck, the Perish Song that had filled the field immediately ended.

"Absol is unable to battle! Aries is the winner!" the referee declared.

Alena recalled her Pokémon sadly while thanking her for her hard work. Putting away Absol's Pokéball, Alena hesitated slightly before choosing her next Pokémon. Ariados wasn't too fast of a Pokémon and it was a Poison type too... "Lairon!" Alena finally chose.

"Lairon, huh? That's a smart move," Alex complimented. Before Alena could thank him for the praise, however, Alex continued, "So, we'll have to be smarter! Aries, use Night Shade!"

The horn on Aries' head glowed black just before it fired a black beam streaked with dark red lines. Rather than move to dodge, Lairon bowed his head in order expose the top of his skull to the worst of the attack.

"Earthquake, Lairon!" Alena commanded.

"Lair-on!" Lairon shouted as he rose up on his hind legs and slammed his front legs down onto the field. The entire battlefield shook, causing Aries to falter slightly.

"Metal Claw!" Alena continued.

"Dodge it!" Alex countered.

Lairon charged towards Aries like a furious Tauros while the field shook uncontrollably. Aries attempted to dodge the attack, but once again faltered in his step. Lairon took advantage of this, but only managed to graze Aries' legs. Lairon backtracked and began viciously slashing at Aries with his glowing claws.

"String shot!" Alex commanded. Mid-swipe, Lairon eyes widened nanoseconds after spotting Aries' String Shot streaming towards his face.

"Lairon!" Alena exclaimed in shock. From where she stood, she could see Lairon completely wrapped in Aries' sticky webbing. Lairon wriggled about on the field frantically like a extra-large cocoon.

"Night Shade, Aries!" Alex commanded. Aries menacingly creeped towards Lairon's incapacitated form with a smug glint in its purple eyes. Lairon suddenly increased his efforts to break out of his sticky prison, but was still failing.

"Try to use Metal Claw on the threads!" Alena suggested, but it was too late.

Just before Aries could strike, however, the large spider gained a black outline and crimson sparks ran over its body. Aries spasmed a bit on the field before its body contracted and it rolled over onto its back.

"What...just happened?" Anya questioned.

"Aries is unable to battle! The winner is Lairon!" the referee declared.

Alex withdrew his Pokémon with a resigned frown. "That Perish Song came in handy, Sunshine," Alex said.

"Yeah... I guess it did," Alena said with relief in her voice. For a second there, she was considering recalling Lairon from the battle.

"Hera, I choose you!" Alex said and released his Heracross from her ball. Alena stared down at the field with intense concentration on her face. Lairon was still wriggling about while Hera was facing his large cocoon patiently. If Lairon didn't break out of there soon- "Hera, use Horn Attack!"

Alena released a strangled noise of shock before countering with, "Iron Defense, Lairon!"

"Hera-cross!"

Hera's glowing horn struck Lairon's form with immeasurable force and sent him flying. Alena felt her jaw drop slightly. That was so _fast_... It was easy to tell that Alex's Heracross was on a level much higher than his other Pokémon. It had been a force to reckon with during their first battle, but now...

"Are you okay, Lairon?" Alena called down to Lairon.

"Lair..." Lairon replied with a groan. That attack had been enough to break the sticky String Shot as well as do some serious damage. Even with his high defense, that attack still left him reeling. Lairon glared across the field at his opponent.

"Take Down, Lairon!" Alena commanded.

"Lair- _on!"_ Lairon exclaimed and took off towards Hera.

"Use Brick Break!" Alex countered.

While Lairon was still running towards Hera, the Bug type managed to effortlessly close the gap between them. Lairon's eyes widened in surprise just before Hera struck down onto his head with it's glowing hand.

"Lairon!" Alena exclaimed with a gasp as she watched him go down. With a precise blow, Hera had taken down Lairon.

"Lairon is unable to battle! Hera is the winner!" the referee judged.

"Thanks for everything, Lairon. You were so brave," Alena said as she recalled her Pokémon. She stared down at Hera with a frown on her face. That Heracross was really strong. She had only one Pokémon who could come close to beating it. "Sceptile, all eyes are on you!"

"I never told you when we battled the first time, but I was impressed that he was able to get back up when he was still a Treecko. I'm looking forward to how much stronger you've both gotten since then," Alex said.

Alena took a deep breath. "We'll show you! Sceptile, use Pound!" Alena commanded and Sceptile took off in the blink of an eye.

Alex's eyes widened slightly just before he grinned excitedly. It had been one thing to see Sceptile battle on tv, but to battle it in real life? It was so much faster in person.

"Scep-tile!" Sceptile exclaimed before striking Hera with his large tail.

Judging by how Hera had flinched slightly from that attack, its attack strength had gone way up as well. "Hera, use Megahorn!"

"Leaf Blade, Sceptile!" Alena countered.

Hera's horn glowed a bright white just before she quickly flew at Sceptile. The leaves on Sceptile's forearms joined and glowed green just as he met Hera halfway. Sceptile wielded his blades like swords, blocking Hera's horn while quickly slashing at her body when she left an opening. The two were moving like two, professional martial artists in a sort of perfectly choreographed dance.

"Brick Break, Hera!"

"Bullet Seed, Sceptile!" Alena quickly commanded. Just before Hera could strike Sceptile across his side with her hand, Sceptile fired a round of seeds directly at her face.

"Heracross!" she exclaimed just before clutching her face in pain.

"Use Pound again!"

"Scep- _tile_!"

Sceptile swung his tail around to hit Hera as she clutched her face in pain, but was stopped cold. Hera had suddenly grabbed his large tail in her claws. She smirked slightly before swinging Sceptile around in a circle and slamming him down onto the field.

Anya gasped from her spot next to Winona. Winona had her arms folded over her chest as she stared at the two Pokémon battling. Alena frowned at Sceptile as he laid in his own sunken-in crater on the field. "Sceptile, can you continue?" she called down to him. With silent grunts, Sceptile began to slowly pull himself up from the ground.

"I'd be surprised if he couldn't. Sceptile's a strong Pokémon," Alex said. "But so is Hera. Use Brick Break!"

"Dodge it!"

Just as Heracross brought her hand down towards Sceptile, he quickly backflipped out of his crater to dodge the attack. Hera wasn't finished with him, however. She used her wings to quickly pursue him, her clawed hand still glowing.

"Switch to Megahorn!" Alex commanded.

"Pound!" Alena shouted.

Just as Sceptile swung his tail towards Hera, she knocked it away with her hand and smoothly transitioned into a Megahorn attack. She speared her glowing horn at Sceptile's torso before sending him flying. Alena frown deeply down at Sceptile and contemplated recalling him.

"Scep- _tile_!"

At Sceptile's loud cry, she hesitated. She watched him critically and he slowly picked himself up from the field. It was obvious that he had taken a lot of damage, but he was refusing to be called back. Alena was unsure. She had allowed Absol to continue when she was injured, and it hadn't turned out well. But before Alena could argue with Sceptile, he suddenly fell forward onto the field. "Sceptile?" she cried out.

"Sceptile is unable to battle! Hera is the winner!"

"You were so great, Sceptile. I'm so proud of you," Alena said as she recalled another one of her Pokémon.

"I'm going to switch Pokémon, too," Alex said while calling Hera back to her ball.

Alena frowned at that. Why was Alex switching? If Sceptile couldn't beat Hera, she was sure that none of her other Pokémon could. Alex didn't have Pokémon stronger than Hera did he!? " _Oh boy..."_ Alena muttered to herself.

"What's with that look? You look like you're ready to give up," Alex commented before frowning.

Alena felt a slight blush grace her cheeks before she shook her head. " _Me?_ Give up? _Never!_ I was just writing my victory speech," Alena joked with a sheepish laugh.

Alex smiled softly with a small chuckle. "Don't count your Torchics before they hatch," he reminded/teased her. "Batty, I choose you!"

Alena frowned at the new Pokémon before taking out her Pokédex.

_Crobat, the the evolved form of Golbat. With its two additional wings, Crobat is able to fly much faster than Golbat._

"At least it's not another Bug. But it's still pretty creepy looking," Anya commented.

"There's just no winning with you. Is there, Anya?" Alex commented with a shake of his head.

"Manectric, you're up!" Alena cried out.

"Manec! Manectric!" Manectric exclaimed before playfully jumping around the field a few times with his tongue lolling out of his mouth.

"Looks like you're ready to go, huh? Batty, use Supersonic!" Alex commanded.

Batty's loud screech tore through the air, causing everyone to flinch and shield their ears from the piercing sound. With both ears covered, Alena shouted, "Thunderbolt, Manectric!"

With a roar, Manectric fired a bolt of yellow electricity straight through the Supersonic. The attack hit Batty directly, cutting his Supersonic off. Batty sparked from where he flew above the field, the electricity immobilizing him.

"Use Poison Fang!" Alex shouted.

"Dodge it!" Alena tried. Batty swooped it quickly with its fangs glowing a toxic, purple color. Manectric growled lowly with a fierce expression before leaping backwards and out of the way. This went on for several more seconds, with Batty getting closer to his mark with each attempt.

"Use Tackle!" Alena commanded. As Batty was swooping in again, Manectric launched himself at the bat's purple body. Batty cried out before sinking his poisonous fangs into Manectric's neck.

"Manec!" Manectric cried out in pain.

"Use Thunderbolt!" Alena commanded quickly. When Manectric released another jolt of electricity, Batty released his hold on Manectric's neck and cried out again.

In the aftermath of the power struggle, Manectric panted on the field, his head bent to hide the poison-filled injury on his neck. Batty hovered above the field, stray bolts of electricity jumping across the membrane on his wings. Both Pokémon looked worse for wear.

' _Manectric may have the advantage, but he won't last much longer against Batty...'_ Alena swallowed. Her gaze narrowed as she stared down at the field. This was her first full battle. She couldn't give up now! "Manectric, Thunderbolt one more time and give it everything you've got!" Alena exclaimed fiercely.

Alex was momentarily stunned. His eyes widened as he stared across the field at Alena. She was on fire! He smirked lightly. "That's how you do it! Batty, use Poison Fang again!" Alex commanded.

"Manec- _tric!"_ Manectric roared just as many dark clouds began rolling in. Batty ceased in his assault to stare up in confusion at the sudden change in the weather. Everyone's eyes looked to the large storm clouds in confusion. Suddenly, a large bolt of yellow thunder struck down from the sky and hit Batty.

"Waoh! What was _that!"_ Anya exclaimed.

"That looked like Thunder. Manectric must have learned how to use Thunder," Winona replied in amazement.

Alena's jaw dropped. Once the thunder had passed, Batty was barely able to hold himself up as he hovered in the air. Electricity was jumping all over his frame, giving him the appearance of an Electric type. "Alright then. Thunderbolt one more time, Manectric!"

"Dodge it!" Alex commanded. Batty quickly flew higher up into the air, effectively dodging Manectric's Thunderbolt. Batty swooped around the field quickly to further evade Manectric's attack.

"Split the bolt to trap Batty!" Alena commanded. Alex frowned in confusion just before Manectric's Thunderbolt split into multiple, smaller jolts. The jolts followed after Batty just before coming together around the bat. Batty screeched loudly as the attack hit before his body fell through the air. "I know you can keep going. Use Wing Attack!"

"Use Bite!" Alena shouted.

"Manec. Manectric!" Manectric grunted as he dashed towards Batty's falling form. Batty quickly caught himself mid-descent before righting himself and flying towards Manectric with glowing wings. Manectric leaped at Batty with his fangs bared just before Baty's wings hit him directly in the mouth.

" _Thunder_!"

With a narrowed gaze, Manectric summoned another bolt of electricity from the sky. This bolt struck both Pokémon in an amazing light show that left the field covered in a cloud of thick, black smoke. It took several seconds of baited silence before the smoke cleared enough to reveal the winner.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle! The winner of this match is Alex!" the referee judged.

~:~

"I told you I wouldn't be able to beat you," Alena said as she met up with Alex on the battlefield.

"Maybe not, but you still gave it your all. I'm impressed and proud of you," Alex said and clasped a hand down onto Alena's shoulder with a smile.

"Oh... Thanks. M-my Pokémon did all the hard work. I just stood by them," Alena said with a sheepish laugh.

"You'll do great in the Grand Festival, Alena. Just keep up your training," Winona said with a smile.

"Don't you worry. I'll make sure that she does," Anya said with a smirk.

"Thanks, everyone. It's great to know that I have so many people cheering me on along with all my Pokémon working so hard. I'll try not to let anyone down," Alena said with a determined smile.

**Having lost to Alex again, Alena has gained even more experience to take with her into the future. The Grand Festival is still weeks away, but there is still much training and work to be done.**

**To be continued...**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: WHOO! This was a long chapter. The next one should be just as long. I just caught a mistake. It hasn't been formally said in the story, but I made Absol's Ability Super Luck despite that Ability not being introduced at this point in the anime. But you know what, I've done a good job of staying within the boundaries I set for myself. I think I'm allowed to have this one.
> 
> Alena's Pokémon:
> 
> Sceptile {Ability: Overgrow} - Pound, Leaf Blade, Solar Beam, Bullet Seed
> 
> Absol {Ability: Super Luck}- Slash, Quick Attack, Perish Song, Future Sight
> 
> Manectric {Ability: Lightning Rod} - Tackle, Thunder, Bite, Thunderbolt
> 
> Lairon {Ability: Sturdy} - Take Down, Iron Defense, Metal Claw, Earthquake
> 
> Swablu {Ability: Natural Cure}- Sing, Peck, Swift
> 
> Feebas- Tackle, Splash


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: Hey guys! I know what you're thinking... Okay maybe not. But, I know what I'M thinking! "Why is Wallace the Sootopolis Gym Leader? It's supposed to be Juan!" There is a simple explanation for that... I like Steven as Champion better. Since Steven is the Hoenn region Champion (for all my intents and purposes), Wallace has to be the Sootopolis Gym Leader.
> 
> And now it's time for the big reveal! Axew, Bagon, Dratini, Dragonair, Druddigon, Fraxure, Goodra, Goomy, Haxorus, Shelgon, Sliggoo and Jangmo-o are the only pure Dragon types we know of so far.
> 
> ~:~

**The sun is shining down on Alena and Anya as their ferry quickly approaches the port at Sootopolis City. Alena is bursting with excitement at the thought of meeting Wallace, a Contest Master.**

"Look at it, Alena! I've never seen a town built into a volcano before," Anya mused while pointing ahead of them towards where Sootopolis City was nestled upon a dormant volcano.

"It seems like a dangerous way to live," Alena mused. "But the city looks so big."

"Some people probably aren't as afraid of a little danger as you are," Anya teased Alena lightly with a grin. Alena rolled her eyes at Anya before pushing her away playfully.

Once the girls had touched down onto the docks, they took in the sights around them. Sootopolis City had a simple, yet elegant flair about it. The buildings were mostly white and styled like rounded squares and rectangles- a very simple design. But it seemed to work to increase the city's beauty.

"Come on, Alena!" Anya shouted as she took off. Rather than lag behind as usual, Alena was right on her sister's heels as she laughed loudly. Not many people were around to see the pair running and laughing in the streets.

The Sootopolis Gym was a light blue, rectangular building with elegant arches for all main entryways and a dark blue roof. The elegance of the building would have made it easy to mistake it for a five-star restaurant. "Wow. This is the nicest Gym I've ever seen," Anya remarked as she examined the Gym from all sides.

"Let's go inside," Alena suggested. Before the girls could enter, however, a tall and slender man exited the Gym. Alena's eyes widened in stunned awe. "You... You're Wallace, the Contest Master!" Alena exclaimed.

The turquoise-haired man's eyes widened in surprise before a grin slowly slid onto his face. "It would appear that I have some fans in my midst," Wallace commented.

"Um... Hi. M-my name is Alena and this is my sister, Anya," Alena stuttered with a growing blush.

"I like your cape. Is it a part of your top or is it separate?" Anya questioned while standing on her toes to get a better view of Wallace's clothing. Wasn't he hot in that long sleeved shirt and cape?

Wallace chuckled lightly before smiling down at the girls. "What can I do for you young ladies?" Wallace questioned.

"I was actually hoping to get some of your advice and opinion on my Pokémon. I'm a Coordinator as well, but I only have five Ribbons right now. And... I also wanted to have a Contest battle with you, if you don't mind," Alena said while staring directly into Wallace's turquoise eyes.

"I see... I have a better idea. I'm judging an unofficial Pokémon Contest that's happening in town today. In fact, I was just on my way over there. I don't think that registration has closed yet. Why don't you enter it? It will give me a chance to observe your Pokémon as well as give you a bit more experience," Wallace suggested.

"Sure! Thank you so much for telling me," Alena answered. It wasn't what she originally had in mind, but it would work for her. An unofficial Contest meant that she could get some more practice without the worry of a Ribbon being on the line (not that she needed one anyways). "I'll enter it with my Feebas."

"You have a Feebas? That's an interesting choice of Pokémon for a Contest," Wallace remarked with a small smile. He started walking again, the girls quickly falling into step at his sides.

"Is it?" Alena responded with a nervous chuckle. "They may not look like much, that much is true. But, beauty isn't skin deep. At least, I don't think it is. Anything or anyone can be great. Sometimes, it just takes a bit of work. Besides, where's the fun in only working with Pokémon that everyone finds cute or pretty?"

"That's an admirable way to look at it. If you can make your Feebas shine more than someone with a Dragonair for example, then you must be a talented Coordinator," Wallace agreed. Alena's blush deepened just as her smile brightened.

~:~

"Welcome everyone to this unofficial Pokémon Contest!" Wallace started from where he stood on the stage of Sootopolis City's water theater.

A decent-sized crowd had gathered and were now cheering loudly from the stands. Anya was sitting in the bottom row amongst the crowd with Alena's Pokémon around her. Looking to her right and then left, she spotted many young girls and women wearing white berets and screaming frantically. Some of them were out of their seats and rushing towards the concrete wall that held back the pool of water surrounding the stage. Sceptile raised a brow at the girls' behavior before scoffing and coolly closing his eyes. Lairon growled lowly to himself when another girl shoved past him towards the wall. Swablu cooed happily before rubbing her wing along his shell. Immediately, Lairon huffed and turned his head away from the stage.

"I will be acting as your Master of Ceremonies as well as judge today. I have the lovely Nurse Joy joining me as well," Wallace said and gestured to where a now blushing Nurse Joy was sitting at the judges' table behind him. "Only twelve Coordinators have come out today to participate, each with an equal chance to win _this_ Pokémon Egg!"

Anya sat forward to get a better look at the prize. She had never seen a Pokémon Egg in real life before. This one looked white with blue and red shapes all over it. Wallace held it up high in its glass case for several more seconds before holding it to himself again. "So, let us go forward and see just what each of these Coordinators have to offer!"

~:~

Anya was about to go deaf. The girls around her were going to seriously damage their throats before the Contest was over. "Is Wallace _that_ big of a deal?" Anya questioned, but no one answered her. Lairon was barely containing himself, Swablu tried not to let her unease show for Lairon's sake, and Sceptile's cool composure was starting to slip. When a girl fainted, some other girl easily took her place in order to get closer to Wallace. Anya rolled her eyes.

"And now we have our final Coordinator of the first round, Alena!" Wallace introduced.

"Finally! All of Alena's hard work with Feebas is about to pay off," Anya said. Anya watched Alena closely. "She looks so calm. She's a real Contest pro by now."

"Feebas, all eyes are on you!"

Feebas came out of her ball and into the pool of blue water just seconds before she popped up on the water's surface. Her already wide eyes widened slightly at the size of the crowd before her. Were they all watching her? She'd never had so many people stare at her before.

"Feebas, are you alright?" Alena called out carefully to her Pokémon. Feebas stared at the crowd motionlessly. They were all looking down at her. Most people would look at her for a second before quickly looking away. She'd never had so many people focused on her at one time before. "Feebas, it's okay. Remember what we practiced. You'll be okay. I have faith in you," Alena told Feebas in a soft but firm tone. Feebas was finally able to look back at her Trainer with unease in her wide eyes. "Feebas, use Splash!"

Feebas stared at Alena for several more seconds. When Alena have her a small smile while making a "go on" gesture with her hands, Feebas slowly turned back to the crowd. Finally, she dove down into the water quickly and disappeared from sight. Feebas swam as fast she could to get to the bottom of the pool before jetting upwards towards the surface. Once she was out of the water, she could hear the crowd " _ooh_ ing" and " _ahh_ ing" in amazement.

" _I've never seen a Feebas splash that high!"_

_"It's higher than a Magikarp!"_

"Now use Water Pulse!" Alena commanded while Feebas was still mid-air.

Feebas summoned up a light blue ring around her body. The ring glowed slightly before growing and suddenly erupting into a light shower of water. The water and sunlight shining down gave Feebas's scales a shiny hue as well as douse the closest members of the audience with a light spray of water. Feebas wriggled a bit before diving back into the water again. When she resurfaced, it was to the cheers of the audience. As if it were possible, her eyes widened even more.

"Way to go, Feebas! You were great! You looked wonderful!" Alena praised her Pokémon as she leaned over the edge of the stage to where Feebas was floating.

Feebas blinked in confusion. She looked _wonderful?_ No one had ever said that she looked "wonderful" before. Did all these people really think that way?

~:~

She'd never felt so confident before. The more times she appeared in front of the crowd, the more comfortable she felt. Hearing their cheers was really motivating her. Well, it wasn't the only thing...

"Water Pulse one more time, Feebas!" Alena commanded.

Leaping out of the water (the crowd loved it when she did that), Feebas fired a blue watery sphere down at her opponent.

"Butterfree!" the opposing Trainer called out frantically to her now unconscious Pokémon.

"The match is over! The winner is Alena's Feebas!" Wallace proclaimed loudly as he stood up from his seat at the judges' table. "It would appear that the winner of our unofficial Contest is Alena and her elegant Feebas. Congratulations!"

Feebas couldn't help but grin brightly. She never thought that she'd see that day were people cheered for her and called her "elegant" or "wonderful".

"Thank you so much, Feebas. I'm proud of you," Alena said before crouching down at the side of the pool. She reached out her hand towards Feebas and stroked her wet scales with a smile. Feebas smiled brightly up at Alena. She'd never met a human as kind as Alena. Kind, patient, encouraging... Feebas felt tears gather in her eyes just before her entire form started to glow. Everyone's stilled as they watched Feebas's form slowly start to grow and lengthen. Once the glow subsided, Alena took out her Pokédex.

_Milotic, the Tender Pokémon and the evolved form of Feebas. Milotic is able to soften human anger and hatred by emitting soothing frequencies from its body. It is said to be the most beautiful of all Pokémon and is quite skilled in battle._

"Wow..." Alena whispered as she stared up in awe at her new Milotic.

"It would appear that my initial thoughts were correct," Wallace said as he approached Alena.

"What do you mean?" Alena questioned.

"As soon as I saw the way you handled your Pokémon, I knew that you were an excellent Trainer and that you would have no problem raising your Feebas and helping it evolve," Wallace said as he stroked Milotic's chin. She cooed happily in delight at the attention. "I have no doubts in my mind that you will do great in the Grand Festival. Good luck to you and your Pokémon," Wallace said as he handed Alena the Egg case.

"Thank you so much, Wallace," Alena said with a bright smile.

~:~

"So, what do you think is going to come out of the Egg?" Anya questioned as she stared at the Egg through the glass of its case.

The girls were relaxing in their room at the Sootopolis City Pokémon Center the following night. Tomorrow, they were planning on heading out and back towards Rustboro City. Alena had never been able to have her battle with Wallace. He had had to leave right after the Contest in order to host his Wallace Cup in the Kanto region. Currently, Alena was brushing Absol's fur while Anya held the Egg case on her lap.

"That's the fun of Pokémon Eggs. You never know what's going to hatch from them," Alena responded and scratched under Absol's chin. Absol purred lightly in response.

"No matter what hatches, I'm going to help you take good care of it," Anya declared.

"Really? Even if it's not a cute Pokémon?" Alena questioned and brushed at the tuft of fur under Absol's chin.

"I've realized something, Alena."

"Oh? What's that?"

"Just because a Pokémon doesn't look nice to some people, doesn't mean that it isn't a good Pokémon," Anya said.

"Really?" Alena questioned without stopping in her brushing.

"Yeah. It's like you said. I also realized that I want to design clothes for all types of people and Pokémon when I grow up. I want to make clothes that could make _any_ and _every_ body look good," Anya said determinedly.

Alena smiled at her younger sister. "I'm proud of you, Anya."

"Thanks. I try," Anya smirked.

"If you want, you can take care of that Pokémon once it hatches," Alena offered.

"R-really? You would let me take care of it!?" Anya exclaimed loudly.

"Uh-huh. You're already really good at helping me take care of my Pokémon. I think you can handle taking care of your own Pokémon," Alena answered.

"But I'm too young to have a Pokémon," Anya objected.

"I know. It'll technically be my Pokémon. But you would take care of it until you're old enough to have a Pokémon of your own. Then, you can have it for real. It's only two years," Alena explained.

Anya hugged the Egg case to her tightly before giggling loudly. She hopped around the room happily before collapsing onto her bed on her back. She still hadn't let go of the Egg case. Alena laughed at her sister's display before taking out a soft cloth to polish Absol's horn.

"You're the _best_ sister _ever_ , Alena! I hope the Egg hatches _really soon,"_ Anya said and stared intently down at the Egg through the glass.

"Staring at it won't help it to hatch faster. You'll just have to be patient, Anya. Anyways, it's getting late. It's time for bed," Alena informed and pat Absol twice on the head. She recalled her Pokémon before moving over to her bed.

"Do I have to go to bed? What if the Egg hatches while I'm asleep? The Pokémon might get scared of the dark!" Anya protested.

"Anya, I promise you that the Egg won't hatch tonight. Just get some rest," Alena said and slid under her covers with a yawn.

"How do you know that?" Anya questioned dubiously.

"The Egg will wiggle when it's about to hatch. The more it moves, the closer it is to hatching. Now, go to sleep, Anya."

"Alright..." Anya said before turning out her light and casting the room in darkness.

Alena had taken less than ten minutes to fall asleep. Less than an hour later, she was dreaming about being in a Contest with her new Milotic. She was even smiling a bit in her sleep. Milotic was amazing. It was around 2:56 in the morning when Alena was roughly shaken awake.

"Alena! Get up! Get up quick!"

"What!? What happened!? Is everything alright!?" Alena shouted in a panicked voice. Her sleepy eyes roamed over the room, trying to locate the trouble. Her eyes fell on Anya who was standing next to her bed with the Egg case in her hands. "Anya?"

"It _moved,_ Alena! I saw it move!" Anya exclaimed happily and pushed the Egg up towards Alena's face.

Alena frowned deeply. "Anya-"

"Is it going to hatch now? What do we do? Do we need to take it to Nurse Joy? Can she make it hatch faster?" Anya was shooting off questions faster than she could take in a breath.

Alena rubbed her eyes with a sleepy groan. "Anya, it has to move around more than once. We don't have to worry about it hatching until it starts flashing. Okay? _Please_ go to sleep, Anya."

"Oh. Okay, Alena," Anya said before crossing the room and getting back under her covers. She held the Egg case close to her, her eyes trained on the Egg within it. Anya had no intention of going to sleep tonight. What if the Egg started flashing, but she missed it because she was sleeping!?

Around 4:12, Alena was peacefully snoozing away under her covers once again. But, Anya was resolutely staring at the white Egg. Her eyes had drooped on several occasions, but she refused to give in to the call of sleep. Suddenly, Anya felt it again. She gasped loudly before sitting up in bed once again. The Egg had moved again! Anya was about to wake Alena up again, but she hesitated. Anya was sure that Alena would be mad at her if she woke her up when the Egg wasn't even flashing.

"Please hatch soon," Anya whispered to the Egg before hugging the case to her and laying on her side.

When the sun was almost fully above the horizon, Alena blinked her eyes open with a yawn. She slowly stretched before sitting up. Despite her rude awakening in the middle of the night, Alena felt surprisingly well-rested. She was more than ready to head out today.

"G'morning, Alena."

Alena blinked curiously before looking over at Anya's bed. "Anya, you're up already?"

"I never went to sleep," Anya said, only pausing to yawn. She wiped the tears out of her eyes with the back of her hand and continued to stare at the Egg.

"Anya! I told you to go to bed. You can't stay up all night. You need your sleep," Alena said with a frown. "We're not going to be able to travel today. You're too tired to go anywhere."

"That's okay," Anya said.

Alena frowned at Anya. It was only one night of no sleep, but Anya already had dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes were puffy and red, too. Alena sighed and walked over to Anya's bed. "Why don't you let me watch the Egg, Anya? You get some sleep and I'll wake you up if it starts to hatch," Alena suggested.

"It moved two times after I woke you up. It's gonna hatch soon. I _know_ it," Anya said.

"Anya, if it does hatch, you'll be too tired to take care of it. Just get some sleep, I promise to wake you up as soon as something happens," Alena says. "You can hold the Egg while you sleep if it makes you feel better."

"...You promise to wake me if it moves again?"

"Absolutely. Just get some sleep," Alena said. She tucked Anya in and placed the Egg case on the nightstand next to Anya's bed. Anya spared the Egg a final glance before yawning loudly and closing her eyes. Alena shook her head slowly before moving to get ready for the day.

She had to call home today to let Dad know that they would be held up a day in Sootopolis City. Maybe she could do some last minute shopping? Alena was still putting together her plan for today as she walked towards the door. As she passed Anya's bed, she spared Anya a final look. Thankfully, Anya was out cold. Her eyes roamed over the Egg next. Alena stared at the motionless Egg for several seconds before leaving the room.

~:~

Alena didn't get back until a little before sundown. When she entered the room, Alena didn't see Anya in her bed. "Anya? Are you in here?" Alena called out. She looked around the room with a confused frown. Eventually, she noticed it. "The Egg is gone..." Alena mused before sighing loudly. " _Anya..."_

Alena descended the steps and entered the lobby of the Pokémon Center. She approached the front desk, but didn't see Nurse Joy or Chansey anywhere. Anya wasn't anywhere in the lobby either. Nervously, Alena rang the bell on the counter.

"Alena! You made it just in time!"

Suddenly, Alena felt two hands grip onto hers. Looking down at her side, she spotted a better-looking Anya. "Anya? What are you doing down here?"

"There's no time for that! Come on! The Egg is hatching!" Anya shouted and tugged Alena beyond the doors for the emergency room.

"W-What!?" Alena exclaimed in shock.

"You're lucky I woke up in time. You were _supposed_ to be watching it. But while you were gone, it started flashing. I brought it down to Nurse Joy and she's taking care of it. _Hurry up!_ We're gonna miss it!" Anya exclaimed and pushed her way into the operating room.

Alena spotted Nurse Joy standing at a machine and pushing away at some buttons. The Egg was resting on a pillow with some wires hooked up to it. It was steadily flashing and wiggling a little bit. "Wow. I've never seen an Egg hatch before," Alena mumbled.

"It should be any second now," Nurse Joy helpfully supplied.

Alena was frozen in place by the door, but Anya was leaning half her body over the table to get a better look. Her nose was only inches away from the glowing Egg. When the Egg ceased flashing and its glow started to brighten, Anya let out an excited squeal. Nurse Joy watched with a small smile while Alena's jaw dropped. The Egg continued to glow as the top changed shape and took on a spikier appearance. When the glowing subsided, a small, light yellow Pokémon blinked its black eyes at Anya in question just before it broke out in a happy grin.

"Togee!" the baby Pokémon cried out while waving its stubby hands at Anya.

"It's so cute!" Anya exclaimed while picking up the baby by its shell.

"Congratulations! Your Egg hatched into a Togepi," Nurse Joy said.

"Togepi?" Alena questioned while taking out her Pokédex.

_Togepi, the Spike Ball Pokémon. Togepi is filled with an energy that makes people happy. When treated well, Togepi shares this energy with others, but when it comes near a human with an impure heart this energy quickly disappears, leaving Togepi exhausted. Togepi is imprinted with the first image it sees after it hatches, thinking this is its mother._

Alena smiled at the sight of Togepi nestling itself into Anya's arms. "Can Togepi think that a human is its mother?" Alena questioned Nurse Joy.

"Oh yes. Togepi don't discriminate against species when it comes time to choose its mother," Nurse Joy responded.

"That's alright with me. Don't worry, Togepi. I'll take good care of you," Anya said with a smile down to the baby Pokémon.

"Togee! Togee!"

~:~

It was getting pretty late, but May couldn't find it in herself to head to bed. Ash, Brock, and Max had already gone to sleep and left her up alone. Bulbasaur was spending the night in Nurse Joy's care. When May had approached the front desk of the Pokémon Center, Nurse Joy had given her a disappointed look before taking her Pokéball. It had left May feeling even more hollow than before.

What had she been thinking? She completely disregarded how important each Ribbon that she won was. She had let her two Ribbons go to her head and what had happened? She'd completely disregarded Bulbasaur's well-being and embarrassed herself and Bulbasaur in front of everybody. When she thought about it, she didn't look like a Coordinator who had already won two Ribbons. May sighed as she flicked through the channels on the television in the Pokémon Center lobby. She wasn't looking for anything in particular. She just needed a distraction.

"What are you still doing up, May?"

With a surprised blink of her eyes, May turned around to see who had called out to her. Upon spotting the person, she frowned and faced forward again. "What do _you_ want, Drew? Did you come to rub it in?"

She heard him "hmph" in that dignified tone of his and resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She avoided looking at him when he came around the side of the couch to face her directly. May was determined to focus on her mindless channel surfing.

"How's your Bulbasaur?" Drew finally asked.

"Fine. Nurse Joy's looking after it," May answered curtly, subtly hinting that Drew should leave. When Drew didn't leave, however, May nearly exploded. Her glare intensified as she started pushing the buttons on the remote with more force than necessary. "What do you want, Drew?"

"Nothing. I was just surprised to see someone else up this late," Drew commented in an offhanded tone. He was smirking at how fast May was zooming through the channels. She couldn't possibly be paying attention to the programs she was skipping.

"Not that I care, but why are you up this late?" May questioned. She was sure that she had passed the same cooking show three times by now...

"I was training with my Pokémon," Drew answered.

May's finger stilled. "Huh? Why? You won the Contest today," May said and finally looked at Drew.

Drew could see the clear confusion in her eyes. "Cause it's like I _told_ you. You have to forget what you've won and focus on the future. Just because I won four Ribbons doesn't mean that the fifth one is going to be easy," Drew explained and flipped his green hair out of his eye with his fingers.

May sighed and flopped back down onto her seat before slumping. "I know that _now_ ," she mumbled.

"Besides, I can't stop working hard now. I know for a fact that Alena already has five Ribbons," Drew inputted.

" _What? Five!?_ When did that happen?" May questioned, her voice rising in pitch.

"A few weeks ago. She got the last one at the Lavaridge Town Contest. I'm sure that she's still training hard with her Pokémon," Drew said.

 _'Alena has five Ribbons_...' The thought kept repeating itself in May's head over and over. "Wow. I can't believe it," May said in a soft voice before suddenly standing up. Drew shot her a curious glance. "I can't sit around here then. I have to start working on a new routine with my Pokémon! I can't get left behind now!" May exclaimed and dashed out of the lobby and upstairs towards the bedrooms. Drew watched her go with a smirk before turning off the television that May had left on.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: You know what I never understood? How come in the anime people always say that you never know what will come out of a Pokémon Egg? I mean, in the games all the Eggs look alike so I get that. But in the anime, a Togepi Egg looks CLEARLY different from an Eevee Egg. Come on! The markings on the Eggs look like the Pokémon they are going to hatch into! "Oh! This light blue Egg with white Froakie handprints on it hatched into a FROAKIE!? What a surprise! I was hoping for a Teddiursa..." -_-
> 
> If it feels like Feebas didn't spend a lot of time as a Feebas, it's because she didn't in comparison to Alena's other Pokémon. Since Feebas need maxed out beauty to evolve, I had it so that Feebas evolved once she truly felt beautiful. :)
> 
> I know that this was a pretty short chapter, but I felt like it was time to stop it here. It was kind of a filler chapter, but not really since some important things did happen. But, eh. Oh well. Comment and vote! :D
> 
> Alena's Pokémon:
> 
> On Hand
> 
> Sceptile {Ability: Overgrow} - Dragon Claw, Leaf Blade, Solar Beam, Bullet Seed
> 
> Absol {Ability: Super Luck}- Slash, Quick Attack, Perish Song, Future Sight
> 
> Manectric {Ability: Lightning Rod} - Tackle, Thunder, Bite, Thunderbolt
> 
> Lairon {Ability: Sturdy} - Take Down, Iron Defense, Metal Claw, Earthquake
> 
> Swablu {Ability: Natural Cure}- Sing, Peck, Swift
> 
> Milotic {Ability: Marvel Scale}- Tackle, Splash, Water Pulse
> 
> With Anya
> 
> Togepi: {Ability: Serene Grace}- Growl, Charm


	15. Chapter 15 Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: I can't tell you guys how draining it is on my creativity levels to come up with so many routines for Alena's Pokémon for the Appeals rounds of Contests. Some Pokémon are easier to work with like Electric, Water, Ice, and Fire types. But you have to be pretty creative to make something outstanding with a Steel type or Normal type that only know moves that correspond with its type. Try making a Tackle attack look good. I dare you.

**Today, we join our heroes as they are having a practice battle on the front lawn of their home in Rustboro City. Over a month has gone by since they've stopped traveling, but Alena's** **_and_ ** **Anya** **_'s_ ** **battle skills have only improved.**

"Alright Milotic, use Water Gun!" Alena commanded.

"Dodge it, Togepi!" Anya fired back.

From where Milotic was elegantly coiled on the green, grassy front lawn, she stared down at her opponent. She fired off a small, slow stream of water from her mouth at Togepi that the baby Pokémon was easily able to dodge.

"Togee! Togee!" Togepi cheered with its stubby arms waving happily. Before the battle could continue, Togepi suddenly ran back towards Anya and hugged her leg with a smile.

"I'm proud of you too, Togepi. But you have to stay and finish the battle before you can celebrate," Anya reminded her while bending over to pick up the baby.

"I think Togepi's been working hard enough to celebrate," Alena said with a smile.

"You're right. You're the strongest Togepi I know. That's for sure," Anya praised Togepi while lifting her into the air. Togepi cried out happily with a bright smile on her small face.

"Let's go inside for lunch," Alena suggested. While the girls and Togepi walked towards the steps that lead onto the front patio, Milotic slithered over the grass towards the backyard and the pool. The cool water was officially her favorite place to stay in the entire house.

Once inside, the girls passed by Altaria who was dusting down some paintings that were hanging high up on the wall. She trilled and waved to them before going back to her work. Absol was relaxing on the living room sofa while Aggron feasted on a large bowl of iron ores nearby. Through the glass sliding doors, they could see Manectric running around the pool with Milotic following him by swimming around the edges of the rectangular pool.

"What do you want for lunch, Anya?" Alena questioned her sister.

"I'll have whatever you're having," Anya said while getting a small bowl of pureed Pecha berries from the fridge. With the bowl and small spoon in hand, she went about feeding Togepi her lunch.

"Have you seen Sceptile?" Alena questioned while looking around for her starter Pokémon.

"He's probably on the roof again. I'm sure he'll come down when he's got enough sun," Anya answered while smiling at Togepi.

Alena nodded in acknowledgment while turning on the television that was hanging on the wall in the kitchen. With the sounds of Vivian Meridian commentating on the latest Pokémon Contest that happened in Pacifidlog Town acting as background noise, Alena went about preparing a simple lunch of sandwiches and rice balls for her and Anya. Anya was in the middle of wiping some food off of Togepi's face when she caught a familiar name from the television.

"... _Congratulations again to May! Our Pacifidlog Contest winner!"_

"May won the Pacifidlog Contest, Alena," Anya spoke up. Both girls tuned in to the television in time to catch the last few highlights of May's battle with her Skitty against Erica's Jynx.

" _With the Pacifidlog Ribbon under her belt, that gives May a total of five Ribbons!..."_

"May has five Ribbons now? Good for her. She'll be able to compete in the Grand Festival, too," Alena commented and placed a plate of food in front of Anya. She then went about setting a plate aside for her father (if he ever decided to come out of his workshop).

" _For all you Coordinators who have won five Ribbons like May, we hope to see you at the Grand Festival in Slateport City in one week!"_

"I guess this means that our vacation is over and we have to head back out onto the road," Anya said while taking a bite from her rice ball.

"Yeah. But we don't have to travel by foot. We can take a seaplane and be there in a few hours," Alena said while pulling out the food bowls for all her Pokémon.

"That sounds good. I've never been on a plane before so that should be fun," Anya commented while breaking off a piece of her rice ball to share with Togepi.

After almost a month of staying at home in Rustboro City, Alena was more than ready to head out again. She had been training hard with all of her Pokémon and it showed. She would be heading into the Grand Festival with newly evolved and much stronger Pokémon as well as a bunch of new routines. Training with all her Pokémon everyday had really paid off.

"Do you think Harley and Drew got five Ribbons, too?" Anya asked Alena as she got some juice out of the fridge.

"I talked to Harley not too long ago and he already got his fifth Ribbon. I'm not sure about Drew, but I'm not too worried about him," Alena answered and finished pouring the last of the food into the Pokémon bowls. "Time for lunch!" Alena called out loudly from the window in the kitchen. She was taking Milotic's bowl out to her just as Manectric dashed past her on his way inside.

Once all her Pokémon were happily eating away, Alena took her plate of food to the living room to join them. "Okay. I've got news," Alena started. Everyone turned to her in question. Even Milotic stuck her head in through a window to hear better. "The Grand Festival is starting in one week in Slateport City. We're going to take a seaplane over there so we don't have to leave right away. Instead, we'll spend our last few days finishing up our training and then we'll head out.

"The Grand Festival is a little different from the other Contests that we've entered. The preliminary round allows only one Pokémon and that Pokémon can only use one move to impress the judges. Only sixty-four Coordinators move on to the main competition after that. Then, every Coordinator gets three minutes to show off their Pokémon in the appeals stage and only half the Coordinators make it to the Contest battles from there," Alena started explaining.

"Geez. That sounds tough. It makes sense though. All the Coordinators who enter have five Ribbons. They _need_ to be pretty talented," Anya commented.

"You're right, Anya. In the Contest Battles, we get five minutes to defeat our opponent while showing off our skills. But, we have to do it in double battle format. So I was thinking that we should spend the rest of the week working on our double battle skills," Alena said to all her Pokémon. "What do you think?"

"Sceptile," Sceptile agreed while lounging against the wall.

"Manec! Manectric!" Manectric exclaimed happily while hopping on his hind legs. Absol and Milotic nodded their heads in agreement.

"-Taria!" Altaria trilled while wrapping her wings around Aggron's head. Aggron continued to eat his food, stiffly disregarding Altaria's behavior.

"Great! Sceptile, you'll battle with Absol. Manectric and Milotic will be the second pair. And Altaria and Aggron will be the last pair," Alena said. Altaria sang happily while Aggron nervously sweat-dropped.

"Why would you put an Electric type like Manectric together with a Water type like Milotic? That seems like a bad pairing to me," Anya judged.

"Not really. Manectric has the ability Lighting Rod. He's the best Pokémon to partner up with Milotic because then she won't get hit by those super effective Electric type attacks," Alena said.

Anya nodded to herself. "Good point..."

~:~

"Got your tickets?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Did you remember to pack the lunches I made?"

"Dad, Alena made the lunches and _yes_ we packed them," Anya reminded.

"I know. Just checking to see if you were paying attention," Isaac said before embracing his two girls. "I'll miss you guys. I wish I could come see you compete, Alena. I feel bad for missing it."

"It's okay, Dad. You have to work. I know that. I'll be fine. I have Anya cheering me on and you can watch the competition on tv," Alena reminded him.

"Alright. You girls take care of yourself," Isaac said and finally released the girls. "Go on. You don't want to be late for your flight."

"See you later, Dad!" Anya called out as she started walking away with Togepi in her arms.

"We love you!" Alena said before following after Anya. Isaac waved farewell to the girls until he could no longer see them walking up the street and away from him.

"Do you think you're ready for the Grand Festival, Alena?" Anya questioned.

"As ready as I'll ever be. My Pokémon all worked really hard to get this far," Alena responded.

"Well, I believe in you and your Pokémon. Togepi and I will cheer as loud as we can for you. Right, Togepi?" Anya questioned with a smile.

"Toge-priii!"

The walk to the seaport was short. In no time at all, the girls were presenting their tickets and boarding their non-stop flight to Slateport City. What would have been almost a week of walking on foot was shortened to only a few hours. In order to pass the time even further, the girls (and Togepi) took a short nap. Seemingly minutes later, they were being roused by the flight attendant announcing their descent into the Slateport Sea Port.

"Slateport City feels different this time. I'm not sure what it is," Alena commented.

"It's just because you're here to compete for the Ribbon Cup. A lot more is on the line this time. Don't worry. You'll be fine," Anya said.

"I'm not too worried. Like I said, my Pokémon and I have been working hard. We're ready," Alena replied in a firm voice that left no room for nervousness.

Anya stared up at her motivated sister for several seconds before smiling. If she hadn't been travelling at Alena's side, Anya was sure that she wouldn't be able to recognize her sister anymore. "I'm proud of you, Alena."

Alena blinked in confusion. "What for?"

"Nevermind. Let's get over to the stadium so you can register for the Grand Festival! Last one there is a rotten Torchic egg!" Anya shouted and took off. Alena laughed at Anya's energetic behavior before running after her.

The expansive area for the Grand Festival consisted of four normal sized stages with sections for the audience surrounding one, extra large stage with three times as much room for the crowd. The girls passed four, three-story white buildings and several pools and fountains on their way into the area. In the front lobby of the main arena, a receptionist was waiting patiently behind the front desk with a pleasant smile on her face.

"Hello. I would like to register for the Grand Festival please," Alena said as she approached the front desk with Anya at her side.

"Okay. I'll need to see your Ribbons, Contest Pass, and the Pokémon you plan to compete with," the receptionist said and began tapping away at her keyboard. Alena took out her six Pokéballs, Contest Pass, and Ribbon Case before handing them over. "Alright, Alena. Your Sceptile, Absol, Manectric, Aggron, Altaria, and Milotic are all registered and your Ribbons check out as well. You're all set."

"Thanks so much!" Alena said with a bright smile.

"Here's your Grand Festival guidebook. It comes with a map of the area, the rules for the competition, and other useful information. Here's your room key as well. Good luck," she said before going back to her computer screen.

"Now I'm even _more_ excited for you, Alena!" Anya said in an ecstatic tone.

" _Hey, it's Alena."_

At the sound of her name, Alena turned to the person who had spoken. "May! You made it!" Alena smiled.

"Yeah. I was able to get my last Ribbon in time," May said as she approached Alena and Anya. Ash, Pikachu, Brock, and Max followed behind her. "I heard that you got your fifth Ribbon months ago."

"Yeah. At the Lavaridge Contest. I've spent most of my time training at home since then," Alena said. May nodded at the new information before approaching the front desk to register for the competition. In the middle of handing over her Ribbon Case, Max made a sort of astonished gasping noise.

"Where'd you get a Togepi!?" he questioned, pointing right at the Pokémon in Anya's arms.

Anya took this as her cue to smirk smugly. "Cool, huh? Alena won a Pokémon Egg in an unofficial Contest and it hatched into a Togepi. She's letting me take care of it until I'm old enough to have my own Pokémon. Then, it'll be _my_ Pokémon," Anya bragged.

" _No way!_ " Max exclaimed before muttering, " _That's so cool..."_

"Yep. It only knew Growl and Charm, but I helped it level up and learn Metronome," Anya boasted. As if it were even more possible, Max's jaw dropped even further.

"This Togepi looks really happy. You must be taking good care of it," Brock commented.

"Yep. I was the first thing she saw so she thinks I'm her mother," Anya explained.

"Can I hold her?" Max asked and held out his hands.

"I guess... But be careful," Anya answered and hesitantly offered up Togepi.

"I'm all registered now," May interjected.

"Great. We can head over to the dorms to put down our things," Alena suggested.

As a group of six, they all headed over to the residence hall that was designated as "Building A". On the walk over, May and Alena exchanged active dialogue about May's most recent Contest in Pacifidlog Town.

"Would you look at that! _These_ are the dorm rooms?" Ash exclaimed in an impressed tone.

"It's like a hotel!" Anya said while staring up at the three-story building with balconies all along the side.

" _Guess who..."_

The group turned at the sound of a new voice only to see Caroline standing behind them with a smile on her face. "Mom!" May exclaimed happily.

"Hello, dear. I knew I would find you here eventually. And you've even found Alena and Anya as well. How nice," Caroline said while smiling at all the children. While Max embraced his mother tightly, Caroline returned the hug whole-heartedly.

"Is Dad here too? I don't see him," May said with a puzzled frown.

"I'm sorry, May. Your father was too busy at the Gym to come. But don't worry. I'm sure that he'll be watching every moment on tv," Caroline soothed. May pouted a bit in disappointment before nodding in acceptance. It would have been nice to have both her parents watch her compete in person, but she knew how important the Gym was. At least she had her mom here. Alena only had her sister...

~:~

Alena and Anya had split off from the group to check out their own room, which was surprisingly right next door to May's. Anya was quick to check out the amazing ocean view from the glass sliding doors while Alena set down her backpack on her bed. "Check out this view, Alena! I could get used to _this,"_ Anya said.

"It's really nice. I almost wish we could stay here after the Grand Festival is over," Alena said and took out her guidebook. "The guidebook says that there are restaurants that serve food of all kinds on the first floor of the residence halls. They have Japanese, Chinese, Italian, French, and so many other kinds!"

"Now, _this_ is living," Anya said with a sigh while flopping backwards onto her bed with Togepi in her arms.

"Togepriii!" Togepi cheered happily.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Alena was the one to answer it and she wasn't surprised to see May standing before with a smile on her face. "Hey, Alena. I was just thinking about doing some extra training with my Pokémon to get ready for tomorrow. Want to come with me?"

"Sure, May. That's a good idea," Alena said. Alena waited for Anya to get up and leave the room before following her out. The group walked downstairs and out of the building while making idle conversation. "Have you caught any new Pokémon since I last saw you May?"

"I did. I've been working really  hard with the ones I already had, too," May answered.

Once they were outside, they found several other Coordinators already working hard with their own Pokémon. Alena's eyes scanned all the Pokémon. She'd never seen some of these Pokémon before! "All these Pokémon look like they're in great shape," Alena complimented.

"Yeah. It's gonna be a pretty stiff competition," May supplied before looking directly at Alena. "So, you wanna see my Pokémon? It might surprise you how much stronger and better they all are."

"Sure, May. And I'll show you mine, too," Alena said.

"Come on out everyone!"

"Come out and say hi!"

Eleven Pokémon appeared from their balls in that moment before shooting curious glances at each other. "Oh _wow!_ I didn't know that you had so many _gorgeous_ Pokémon, Alena," May praised as she got a closer look at all of Alena's Pokémon.

"Your Bulbasaur is adorable, May," Alena commented while rubbing the Grass Pokémon head. Bulbasaur smiled happily at the attention.

May couldn't believe how strong and beautiful Alena's Pokémon all looked. Their coats were so shiny and soft and their shells and scales were absolutely _dazzling_ in the sunlight. There were 247 competitors here, but May couldn't help but feel a bit more worried about the one right in front of her. Meanwhile, Alena stared down at May's team with a smile. She seemed to have a nice collection of Pokémon going. She had both cute and tough Pokémon. With a team like this one, who knows what tricks May had up her sleeves?

"Hey. It's Drew," Anya suddenly said, gaining everyone's attention. Everyone turned to see Drew standing casually off to the side with his Roselia at his side and a red rose in his hand.

"Hey, Drew!" May was quick to call out to him and wave him over. After a few seconds, Drew slowly made his way over to the large group. "You made it. I'm not too surprised, but I bet you're surprised to see _me,"_ May said with a smirk. "I guess this means that I'm every bit as good of a Coordinator as you are."

Drew let out a "humph" with his usual smirk in place. "That remains to be seen," he said. Ignoring May's rising anger, Drew went on, "Not surprised to see you here, Alena. Your Pokémon look well."

"Thanks, Drew. We've been working hard," Alena replied with a friendly smile.

"You've made some real progress since the Lavaridge Contest," Drew said while flipping his hair out of his eye.

"Oh _yeah?_ Well, I've made progress too, Drew! If you hadn't noticed, I caught new Pokémon and I've been working harder than ever-" May started, but was cut off by Drew shoving his rose under her nose. With a blank expression, May took the rose without question.

"Congratulations, May. You're enthusiastic to say the least. But, I hope you're more than just talk. We'll just have to see tomorrow. Won't we?" Drew said before leaving with his Roselia. May was still dumbfounded as she watched Drew walk away. Alena hid her smile behind her hand while Anya shook her head.

" _Oh my gosh! Is that who I think it is!?"_

Before anyone could make a move, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around both of Alena's and May's shoulders. The person giggled loudly before letting the girls face them. "Harley!" Anya exclaimed happily.

"Hey, Little Red. You're looking _fabulous_ as usual," Harley said with a wink. Anya grinned up at him in thanks. "Alena, you didn't tell me that you knew _May!_ What a small world!"

"I didn't know that you two knew each other," Alena responded.

"How _are_ you, May?" Harley questioned May with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"Oh. I'm fine. Thanks for-" May started.

"Glad to hear it! I can't _believe_ we're all here together! This is just great! Tell you what, let's all get together later for dinner! There's this French restaurant that I'm _dying_ to try. Sounds like a plan! I'll see you all at seven. _Okay?"_ Harley said before quickly dashing off again.

"Harley really seems to be on the move today," Alena commented with a small smile.

"How do you know _Harley?"_ Max questioned, saying Harley's name as if it were the worst thing ever.

"We met on a ferry to Dewford Town. Alena competed against him in the Dewford Contest," Anya explained.

"He didn't _cheat._ Did he?" Max went on as if he already knew the answer.

"Cheat? No. Why would Harley do that?" Alena questioned.

"Harley isn't a nice guy, Alena. When I competed against him, he tried to cheat just so he could beat me," May informed.

Alena blinked in confusion. Harley did that? "That doesn't sound like Harley. He's a nice guy."

"Yeah _right._ And I'm a Pidgey," Max scoffed.

"Harley's the nicest guy ever. He's been an awesome friend to both me and Alena. Maybe he's just mean to _you_ guys," Anya defended huffily.

Alena wasn't sure what to think. Harley had only ever been nice and helpful to her. Maybe he was a bit harsh to other people... The only way to know the truth was to talk to Harley. She should at least get his side of the story.

~:~

Later that evening, Alena, Anya, May, and Max were standing outside of the French restaurant called "L'Abeille". Ash had rejected the dinner in favor of training with his Snorunt, Caroline was calling Norman, and Brock had politely rejected spending the evening with Harley. "Maybe he won't show? It's already after seven," May commented.

Suddenly, a familiar, effeminate voice called out to them. "Sorry I'm late. I hope you weren't waiting long," Harley said as he approached the group.

"Not too long. Let's go inside," Alena suggested.

Their waiter got them a table for five in the middle of the slightly crowded restaurant. Harley sat at the head of the table with the sibling pairs taking up the seats at his sides. Once they had their menus and the waiter left, Harley sighed loudly. "I have to confess something..."

Max raised a dubious brow while Alena, Anya, and May all watched Harley curiously. "What is it, Harley?" Alena asked.

"I've come to realize that I was such a _terrible_ person to you, May. I just feel _awful_ about what I did. It was wrong! I shouldn't have done it and I'm _so_ sorry! Can you _ever_ forgive me?" Harley said with tears forming in his eyes.

"What did you do, Harley?" Alena questioned.

"I don't want you to think less of me, Alena. But I won't lie to you. I just wanted revenge on May so badly that dragged her brother into my revenge scheme and publicly humiliated her at the Izabe Island Contest. I feel just _awful_!" Harley exclaimed with a loud sob.

"Revenge?" May questioned in a small voice. What had she ever done to Harley?

"I don't deserve to be your friend, Alena. I'll understand if you want nothing to do with me. That goes for you too, May," Harley said while dabbing his eyes with his napkin.

"I-it's okay, Harley. I forgive you," May replied.

"You _do!?_ That's great!" Harley exclaimed happily. He turned to Alena, "What about you, Hun?" he asked in a meek voice.

"If you're really sorry... It's okay as long as you don't do it again," Alena said.

"You two are just the _best!"_ Harley said with a laugh. To be perfectly honest, Harley hadn't meant a word of what he'd said to May, but he'd been completely honest to Alena. Alena was one of the few people Harley considered a friend in this dog-eat-dog world. He could trust her not to knife him in the back when it suited her. But _May_ on the other hand... She was a Sharpedo who tried to act all innocent. But, he would get her before she got him. "You know, I almost forgot something. Who was that young man you two were talking to before I saw you today? You know. The one with the green hair and the Roselia."

"Oh. That was Drew. He's just another Trainer," May commented.

"He didn't seem like _just another Trainer._ You were pretty close to him, May," Harley said with a sly smirk.

May's face flamed. "Not true! Alena and I were _both_ talking to him. It wasn't just me!"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that there was something romantic going on. And I know for a fact that Alena doesn't have feelings for anyone besides her beau," Harley commented.

" _Harley_!" Alena objected with bright red cheeks.

Harley laughed loudly. "You two are just _adorable!"_

~:~

The next day, Alena was up bright and early. She'd left Anya sleeping with Togepi and had gone outside with all her other Pokémon. The morning air was still cool and crisp while the sun was just barely peeking over the horizon. "Well, guys. Today's the day. All our hard work has come to this," Alena started.

"Manec! Manectric!"

"Aggron."

"-Taria!"

"Sceptile, I'm counting on you today. But I know you'll be great," Alena said.

"Sceptile," Sceptile said with a nod.

"We'll get through the preliminaries and then we'll show them what we can really do in the main competition!" Alena exclaimed happily. All her Pokémon voiced their enthusiasm as well, almost loud enough to wake up the other Trainers that were still sleeping.

The preliminaries would be taking place in the smaller arenas surrounding the main arena. Multiple Coordinators would be showing off their Pokémon at once in order to get through the 247 who had entered. On her way into the waiting area of the stage she had been assigned, Alena spotted Drew standing confidently in the back of the room. She was about to approach him when she heard another's voice.

" _I didn't think that the qualifications for the Grand Festival had sunk so low..."_

Alena froze in place before turning slowly. "Charlotte," Alena said with a frown.

Charlotte stood in all her glory with her usual smug smile on her face. She brushed her hair back over her shoulder with a small giggle. "I'm surprised that you actually made it. Congrats. It might be the only achievement you have today," Charlotte giggled.

Alena clenched her jaw. It felt like she could literally feel the old wounds reopening. Alena took a deep breath. "I doubt it. I've worked hard to get here and I'm going all the way to the top," Alena defended herself.

"That's not fair. You're already higher up than a Tropius. You don't have any farther to go," Charlotte said with fake concern. Alena's face gained a pink tinge.

"I _knew_ I smelled something bad."

Alena's eyes widened at the new voice. "Harley? When did you get here?"

"Alena, why are you hanging around here? This is the section for under qualified Coordinators," Harley questioned while moving past Charlotte. His arm seemed to have gained a mind of its own as it knocked the smaller girl out of the way.

" _Excuse_ me?" Charlotte huffed.

" _I told you I smelled something,"_ Harley loudly whispered to Alena behind his hand. Alena tried not to laugh, but a grin won out. "Listen up, you prep school reject. Alena is my _best_ friend. If you have a problem with her, you have a problem with me. _Got_ that?"

"I'm _so_ intimidated," Charlotte said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

Before Harley could fire back, Alena held out her arm to stop him. "Don't bother, Harley. She's not worth it. We're both better than this. Let's be the bigger person and just go."

"You're right, Alena. We _are_ better than her," Harley said and took Alena by the arm. "The last thing we need is her outdated fashion sense and lack of talent to rub off on us!" Harley exclaimed with a loud laugh as he led Alena away.

Charlotte steamed silently. The _nerve_ of some people! At least the people in the Johto region knew to respect the Sinclair name. The people from the Hoenn region were proving to be the most rude, unsophisticated bunch of classless nobodies that she'd ever met. "The faster I win this, the faster I can go home and get out of this backwoods region," Charlotte huffed.

Harley was steaming mad. He had wanted to put his plan of revenge for May in action today (while Alena wasn't looking of course), but that Sinclair girl had been asking for it. He would have to put May on the backburner for now. Harley knew that Alena wouldn't stoop so low as to get back at Charlotte. But Harley wasn't above getting his hands dirty for a bit of revenge. Harley smirked as a plan started to come together in his mind...

Alena was sure that she wasn't about to scream, yell, or cry any time soon. Seeing Charlotte had not been the best thing to happen today, but she had gotten through it relatively unharmed.

"What was _that_ all about?" Alena heard Drew question from where he leaned against the wall.

"Oh. Morning, Drew. That was nothing," Alena brushed off the encounter.

"It's nice to meet you, Drew! I'm Harley! So, I hear you're pretty close to May," Harley started, immediately pouncing on the boy. Drew didn't answer. Instead, he shot Harley a confused look. "I think you two would make _such_ a cute couple! At first, I thought that you and Alena had something going on, but I know for a fact that it can't be true because Alena already has a boy-"

"Harley, _please stop!"_ Alena begged while covering Harley's mouth with an embarrassed expression. Harley's eyes widened in surprise as some muffled noises managed to make it out of him. Drew raised a brow at the pair before scoffing and looking away.

~:~

"Togee! Togee!" Togepi cried happily from Anya's lap.

"You're really excited. Aren't you, Togepi? We have to cheer extra loud for Alena and Harley. Okay?" Anya said down to Togepi.

"You're still cheering for Harley even after what he did to my sister?" Max questioned Anya.

They were sitting in their front row seats with Caroline, Ash, and Brock. Max was sitting next to Anya and watching her with a dubious expression. "Harley's still my friend. And he's been nice to me and Alena. So of course I'll cheer for him," Anya said.

"I still think you're making a mistake. You can't trust that guy," Max said.

"Harley's not perfect. But I'm just saying that he's not as bad as you think," Anya tried to convince Max. Before she could go on, however, Vivian Meridian was taking the stage and starting the competition.

"Hello! And welcome to this year's Hoenn Grand Festival! I'm your host, Vivian and it's my pleasure to be standing before you today," Vivian started. "We have so many talented Coordinators all gathered under one roof for a chance to claim glory and the title of Top Coordinator.

"Today, we'll have our preliminary matches where Coordinators must show a perfect balance between power and grace to achieve victory in this round. From the second they step on the stage, each Pokémon is being judged on appearance, attack executions, and synchronicity with their Trainers! Additionally, Coordinators are judged on how smoothly they interact with their Pokémon. So why don't we kick off the competition with contestant number one!?"

The crowd cheered loudly at the sight of the twelve-year-old girl with platinum blonde hair that was walking out onto the stage. "Everyone, give a warm welcome to Charlotte from Goldenrod City!" Vivian introduced.

"I know they say "save the best for last", but today's the exception. Dragonair, you're up!" Charlotte exclaimed and released her Pokémon. At the sight of the long, slender, and elegant Pokémon, the crowd "ahhed" in appreciation. Charlotte allowed them a moment to bask in her Dragonair's beauty. "Dragonair, use Safeguard," Charlotte commanded. Dragonair's entire body took on a blue-green hue that seemed to be emanating off its person. Even the orbs under its neck and on its tail were shining brightly. The crowd went wild.

"What a performance. Let's see what our judges thought...89 points! A solid score for Charlotte and her Dragonair," Vivian said.

Charlotte frowned and recalled her Dragonair. _89 points!?_ She couldn't even break 90! With a silent huff, Charlotte returned to the waiting area. On her way back, who else would she have the displeasure of running into but Alena.

Alena spared Charlotte a glance as she made her way towards the stage. She wanted to compliment Charlotte's Dragonair, but she restrained herself. The last thing she wanted was to start a conversation with Charlotte. When Charlotte passed her by, however, she offered a "Don't _choke_ ," over her shoulder. Alena nearly froze, but once she heard Charlotte's derisive laughter she continued on.

"Here's our next contestant, Alena from Lilycove City!"

"Sceptile, all eyes are on you!" Alena called out and released her Pokémon.

"Scep-tile!" Sceptile exclaimed as he appeared from his ball with a few mid-air flips. He landed onto the stage in a relaxed, yet ready position.

"Alright, Sceptile. Use Solar Beam!"

Sceptile slowly closed his eyes and allowed the sun's rays to wash over his form. He waved his long, thick tail back and forth slowly as it started to sparkle in the sunlight and glow with the energy it was absorbing. Judging by the crowds loud cheers, he could tell they were mesmerized. Once he had enough energy stored, Sceptile fired the colorful blast of pure energy upwards where it exploded into a shower of multicolored sparkles all over the stage and crowd.

" _Amazing!_ It feels as though the energy Sceptile released is floating through the air and into everyone present! And the judges give Alena and her Sceptile 97 points!" Vivian exclaimed.

"Way to go, Sceptile!" Alena cheered for her Pokémon.

"Sceptile," Sceptile responded with a nod.

~:~

"Is _everyone_ blind? There's no _way_ that glorified lizard was better than my Dragonair," Charlotte huffed.

" _Hurts._ Doesn't it?"

Charlotte turned to see Harley smirking behind her. Charlotte rolled her eyes. "What do _you_ want?"

" _Me?_ Nothing. I was just watching Alena compete. I would expect nothing less from her. _Everyone's_ talking about how she's the Trainer to beat," Harley said.

"Oh _please_. I could beat her with my eyes shut."

" _Liar, liar..."_

 _"_ Don't you have somewhere _else_ to be!?" Charlotte exclaimed.

Harley grinned deviously. "You're right. I should go. _Oh!_ By the way, Sinclair. I don't think this competition is the best place for you to be right now. I'm just saying. I don't think you're cut out for it. But what do _I_ know!? Ciao!" Harley said cryptically before strutting away. Charlotte narrowed her eyes at his back.

~:~

After the preliminaries had concluded, Alena was awaiting the results with Sceptile, Anya, and Togepi. Alena kept taking breaths every three seconds like clockwork while Sceptile stood tall and confidently at her side. When Alena took her twenty-sixth breath, Anya spoke up. "Geez. You seem really nervous, Alena."

"I'm not nervous about the competition, Anya. I'm just a bit shook up from seeing Charlotte," Alena explained.

"Charlotte? I think I remember her. She's the blonde with the Dragonair. Why do you care about her?" Anya questioned.

Alena could tell Anya the truth, but she didn't see the point. Anya would probably repeat everything Harley had already told her. Instead, she chose to gloss over the details. No sense in worrying Anya unnecessarily. "I've seen her perform and her Pokémon are top notch. I might be more worried about losing to her than anyone else."

"She didn't even break 90 points and you got the best score. You don't have anything to worry about," Anya said.

" _And the results are in!"_

"Look! I told you Alena! You're number one!" Anya exclaimed.

Alena stared up at the screen for several seconds. It was her face in the first slot. She'd actually come in first! Scanning through the other faces, Alena spotted Drew, May, Harley, and Charlotte. When Alena felt a clawed hand on her shoulder, she turned to see Sceptile smirking at her. Alena returned the smirk. "We can't let up now! This is just the preliminaries. We've still got to get through the main event!" Alena exclaimed.

~:~

"Welcome to the first round of the main event!" Vivian spoke into her microphone the next day. Now that the top 64 competitors had been decided, all further events would be taking place on the much larger, main stage. The crowd was large and excited as they waited for Vivian to start off the show. "Today, each of our sixty-four competitors will take the stage and show off their Pokémon with the utmost grace and beauty! Each performance has a three minute time limit, but I'm sure that these Coordinators will still be able to put on a great show for you! But first, let's meet our panel of esteemed judges! First we have Raoul Contesta, the Director of the Contest Committee!"

"It is my honor to be here today. I look forward to seeing the very best from all of our contestants," Mr. Contesta said.

"Next, is Mr. Sukizo, the President of the Pokémon fan club!"

"I'm sure that today's proceedings will be one to enjoy. Not to mention _remarkable!"_ Mr. Sukizo said with a grin.

"And finally, we have _three_ Nurse Joys to help round out our panel of judges!"

"We're happy to be here and thank you for having us," all three Nurse Joys said in matching tones simultaneously.

"Okay! Now that we've met the judges, we're ready to meet the first contestant! Please welcome, Stefano!"

~:~

"It's back on, Winona!" Alex shouted loudly across the living room before tuning in to the television.

"I'm coming!" Winona answered just before plopping down on the couch next to her brother. "Has she come on yet?"

"No, not yet," Alex answered.

" _Let's give another round of applause for that wonderful performance! Next up, we have Alena!"_

"There she is!" Winona exclaimed.

"She looks ready to go," Alex commented.

"You're right. She's so focused," Winona mused.

" _Alright, Milotic. All eyes are on you!"_

"Her Feebas must have evolved," Alex commented.

"And it looks gorgeous, too," Winona praised.

" _And Milotic's beauty seems to have the entire stadium enraptured!"_ Vivian announced _._

_"Use Water Pulse straight up in the air!"_

Milotic sang a soothing sound as the blue, watery ball formed in front of her mouth. Once it was the size of a basketball, she tilted her head back and fired the ball straight up into the air. " _Twister!"_ Alena commanded from where she stood behind her Pokémon. Lifting her colorful tail slightly, a tornado formed from it before growing and colliding with the mid-air Water Pulse. The Water Pulse exploded and the remaining water replaced the air to form a slender whirlpool. Water rained down from the top of the tornado to form a veil of water around Milotic. " _Finish up with Safeguard!"_ Alena said. From within the watery veil, Milotic's entire body gained a green outline and glow just before she began singing.

" _How beautiful! Milotic's glow and voice has the entire stadium feeling a deep sense of calm and tranquility!"_ Vivian exclaimed with a relaxed expression. Suddenly, the veil of water erupted and revealed Milotic posed elegantly on the stage. " _And with a final pose, Milotic has definitely captured the hearts of everyone present! What a beautiful Pok_ é _mon! And the judges thought so, too!_ "

"They gave her a perfect score!" Alex exclaimed, immediately rising up from his seat with a fist pumped into the air.

"She's come a really long way. I'm proud of her," Winona said as she smiled at the sight of Alena grinning and embracing her happy Milotic.

~:~

Alena was brushing Manectric's fur as she waited backstage for the results to be announced. She still couldn't believe that the judges had given her a perfect score. That meant that she had done everything right. There were no flaws in her Pokémon's form, routine, nothing! She and Milotic had been perfect.

"I bet you think that this means you should celebrate..."

Alena nearly groaned aloud. She refrained from turning around and remained focused on her task. Her eyebrows knitted together in concentration. Even Manectric was shooting her curious glances.

"Personally, I think they were pitying you," Charlotte went on while inspecting her nails. "It's the only reason they would give _you_ a perfect score."

"Are you just mad because you only got an 88?" Alena snapped before she could stop herself. She stiffened slightly before refocusing on her task. She couldn't let Charlotte get to her like this!

Charlotte bristled. "It's only because the judges here in Hoenn think worthless _dirt_ is something to praise and the _real_ gold should be neglected because of it! If this were the _Johto_ region, the tables would be turned..."

Alena was fuming. Sensing his Trainer's upset, Manectric quickly lept out of her grasp and stopped before Charlotte with a growl building in his throat. He snarled fiercely at the blonde girl before him. She was threatening Alena! "Manec-! Manectric!" Manectric barked before snapping his jaws at Charlotte's ankle.

" _Ah_! Wild Pokémon!" Charlotte exclaimed with a frightened shriek. Alena was quick to embrace Manectric in order to calm him down with some soft words. Once Alena had Manectric under better control, Charlotte huffed. "Why don't you get a muzzle for that _beast_?" Charlotte asked with a "humph" before stalking away.

Alena glared at Charlotte's back before patting Manectric's head. "It's okay, Manectric. Don't worry about her. We have more important things to worry about..." Alena soothed.

" _And the results are in! These thirty-two Coordinators will be moving on to the battle stage!"_

Alena's eyes still shot up towards the monitor. She had gotten a perfect score, but she still felt the need to make sure that she had made it. "Looks like we'll be moving on to the double battles next. Drew, May, and Harley made it, too."

" _And to decide the matchups for the battle stage, the computer will randomly pair up our contestants!...And here are the matchups!"_

Alena froze.

~:~

Charlotte smirked with her arms folded over her chest. Her eyes narrowed at the matchups for the first round. Obviously, she had made it into the battle stage. It was only natural. She _hadn't_ counted on who she was matched up with.

"I guess this means that _I'll_ have to be the one to send her packing. I usually _hate_ having to take out the trash, but I think I'll enjoy it this time," Charlotte laughed haughtily behind her hand. ' _Look out, Alena. You're about to get yours.'_

**The first round of the Hoenn Grand Festival has gone off without a hitch, but an even bigger challenge is just on the horizon for Alena. Due to an amazing stroke of bad luck, she's been matched up with her rival, Charlotte, in the first round! Will Alena reign victorious? Or will Charlotte be able to unnerve her once again? Stay tuned to find out.**

**To be continued...**

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~:~
> 
> Moi-Moi: Oh boy... Can you FEEL the intensity? Cause I sure can...
> 
> Alena's Pokemon:
> 
> On Hand
> 
> Sceptile {Ability: Overgrow} – Dragon Claw, Leaf Blade, Solar Beam, Bullet Seed
> 
> Absol {Ability: Super Luck}- Slash, Feint Attack, Perish Song, Future Sight
> 
> Manectric {Ability: Lightning Rod} – Hyper Beam, Thunder, Bite, Thunderbolt
> 
> Aggron {Ability: Sturdy} – Iron Tail, Iron Defense, Metal Claw, Earthquake
> 
> Altaria {Ability: Natural Cure}- Sing, Peck, Swift, DragonBreath
> 
> Milotic {Ability: Marvel Scale}- Water Gun, Twister, Recover, Water Pulse
> 
> With Anya
> 
> Togepi: {Ability: Serene Grace}- Growl, Charm, Metronome


	16. Chapter 15 Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: I'll give you guys one more riddle and I'll give you the answer at the end of the chapter. BUT DON'T PEEK! I mean... It's not like I can stop you. But still!
> 
> How many male Gym Leaders are there? No, A.J. doesn't count and I don't think James counts either because he was only a temporary Gym Leader at the time. To count, they would have to have acted as an official Gym Leader at some point in time in the games or anime. (Hint: Orange Islands Gyms count.)

Harley glared across the restaurant at where May was sitting with her friends and family. He had spent so much time working on his revenge against Charlotte that he had completely neglected May. And now she had made it into the Top 32! He had to put a stop to this. But how?...

"Harley?"

With a small jump, Harley quickly turned on his heel to face who had approached him. "Alena! You startled me!"

Alena raised both hands, palm first, in a submissive gesture before saying, "I'm sorry. I just saw you so I came over. Why were you staring at May?"

"I wasn't _staring!_ I was just daydreaming about the Contest," Harley argued defensively. Alena raised a dubious brow at him, but didn't pursue the topic. "Anyways, shouldn't you be getting ready for your battle with Charlotte?"

"Don't worry about me, Harley. My Pokémon and I are ready. I know we can do this," Alena replied.

"Well, don't you sound confident? I'm proud of you, Hun," Harley said with a grin.

"Thanks, Harley," Alena returned the smile.

Harley spared May a final glance before refocusing his attention on Alena. What could he do to get his revenge on May? He _had_ planned to gain her trust and convince her to get herself knocked out of the competition, but that could take too much time now. Then again, May was a naive sap. Maybe it wasn't too late???

~:~

"Hello and welcome to the second round of the main competition matches! In accordance with Grand Festival rules, all matches between Coordinators will be double battles!" Vivian announced from the center of the main stage to the large audience and the cameras that were broadcasting the event.

Anya sat with Max, Brock, Caroline, and Ash in the crowd. Togepi was waving her arms from side to side while chirping happily from Anya's lap. Anya was almost shaking with how nervous she felt. Alena was the one who had to go onstage, yet Anya felt more nervous than Alena had ever felt during the competition. Noticing Anya's intent gaze, Max raised a brow at her and questioned, "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Sure I am. I think I just realized how big of a deal this is," Anya said with a weak smile.

"Yeah. No kidding. If either of our sisters lose here, it's all over," Max agreed.

"Alena won't lose," Anya said, trying to sound confident.

"Neither will May," Max replied in a matching tone.

"Our first match will be between Alena and Charlotte! Let's give these two our undivided attention!" Vivian said in an upbeat tone.

Alena stared across the field at Charlotte's smirking face. Alena frowned before taking a deep breath. "Manectric, Milotic, all eyes are on you two!"

"You _wish._ Flaaffy and Espeon, it's showtime!"

"With five minutes on clock, let the battle begin!" Vivian exclaimed.

"Espeon, use Swift!" Charlotte commanded.

"Espee!" Espeon exclaimed while leaping into the air. She somersaulted mid-air several times before streams of yellow stars shot at Milotic and Manectric.

"Milotic, Twister!" Alena commanded. A vicious twister spiraled out of Milotic's tail and sucked the countless stars into it like a super powered vacuum. "Thunderbolt, Manectric!" Alena continued. Manectric sent a bolt of yellow electricity directly at the Twister. In a show of bright, flashing lights, the Twister sparked for several seconds before the stars inside it exploded into sparkling dust just as Milotic's Twister wore off.

"What a beautiful use of Espeon's Swift! Charlotte is losing some serious points for that..." Vivian announced.

"Oh _yeah_? Flaaffy, Cotton Spore! Espeon, Confusion!"

Multiple white cotton balls appeared around Flaaffy just before they gained a blue outline from Espeon's Confusion. The cotton balls swirled around the field quickly, surrounding all the Pokémon from all sides. "Espee!" Espeon's cried out just as the cotton balls swooped down onto Milotic and Manectric.

"Oh _no!_ Milotic and Manectric have been completely trapped in the cotton spores!" Vivian fretted. The audience leaned in with their anticipation building.

"Use Water Pulse, Milotic!"

From within the large ball of cotton, Milotic's soothing voice sang just before the cotton spores were all washed away by a large wave of water. The soggy cotton rolled over the field uselessly and Charlotte's jaw dropped in response. Manectric shook some excess water out of his fur harmlessly.

"And Manectric and Milotic seem unharmed by that attack!"

"Manectric, use Bite on Espeon!" Alena commanded.

"Manec-" Manectric growled before taking off with a speedy dash towards Espeon.

"Oh no you don't. Flaaffy, give Milotic a taste of your Thunder Shock! Espeon, Psybeam!" Charlotte fired back. The horns on Flaaffy's head sparked just before a bolt of blue electricity shot off towards Milotic. Espeon fired her Psybeam at the same time, but at the moving Manectric.

"What's _this!?_ Flaaffy's attack was redirected towards Manectric!" Vivian exclaimed.

"Manec-" Manectric growled slightly without stopping. Still charged from Flaaffy's attack, Manectric quickly dodged Espeon's Psybeam before tackling her and biting her directly on her tail.

"Water Gun, Milotic!" Alena commanded. Milotic's Water Gun power hosed Flaaffy directly into Espeon and sent them both sprawling backwards on the field. "Now use Thunder, Manectric!"

Anya had finally been able to relax. She sat back in her seat with a confident smile on her face and Togepi still cheering on her lap. Alena had barely lost any posts so far and Charlotte had already lost almost half her- _whoops_. Now, she had lost half her points. Anya smirked.

"Hey, Little Red."

"Oh. Hi, Harley," Anya greeted the older boy when he approached her. He took up the empty seat next to Anya, doing his best to ignore the distrustful looks he was receiving from May's friends. "Where have you been? Watching from back stage?"

"Not _quite._ I had to handle some things first," Harley said with a wink. "It looks like our girl's handing Ms. Sinclair her fair share of butt whoop."

"Yeah. I don't know why Alena was even worried. She's way better than Charlotte," Anya said.

"There's only three minutes left on the clock, folks. Is this the end of Charlotte's run in the Grand Festival? If she's going to do something, now would be the-" Vivian said, but was cut off by the sound of static. The jumbo monitor hanging above the stage crackled a bit before the images of Alena and Charlotte's faces and points were replaced by footage from the camera of a building lobby. "What's this?"

" _You_ have _to let me compete! I need to be in this Contest!"_ the blonde girl at the front desk begged the receptionist.

" _Johto_ _Grand Festival rules state that you need five Ribbons to compete. I'm sorry, but I can't let you compete, Ms. Sinclair,"_ the receptionist replied with a small frown.

 _"Fine. But I_ will _be back,"_ the Charlotte on the screen promised before leaving the lobby. The footage on the screen cut again before showing what looked like security camera footage of a hooded figure standing in an alley. Several seconds went by before a smaller, noticeably blonde figure joined them.

Charlotte froze. She swallowed hard before her eyes frantically looked around her. Vivian, Alena, and the judges were all focused on the screen. The audience was mumbling softly, but they were focused on the screen as well.

 _"Here's your money. Do you have it?"_ the blonde asked.

 _"Sure. One Contest Ribbon. No one'll be able to tell the difference,"_ the hooded figure said before accepting an envelope and handing over the colorful Ribbon. Without another word, he quickly jogged away from the alleyway. Finally, the monitor changed to the image of the results from last year's Johto Grand Festival. Charlotte's face held the runner-up position.

"I...I don't believe it," Vivian said in a shocked tone, still speaking into her microphone.

Harley could hear the whispers around him. He refrained from smirking and instead stood up from his seat and pointed down at the stage. "She's a _cheater!"_ Harley exclaimed loudly. "She should be disqualified!"

"Yeah!"

"I can't believe they let a _cheater_ compete!"

"Disqualify her!"

Suddenly, the crowd was in an uproar. Angry shouts ran rampant throughout the stadium along with a chorus of boos and jeers. Alena looked around her at the many angry faces before facing Charlotte with a surprised expression. The judges looked furious and Vivian looked displeased. Charlotte looked around in shock before her eyes settled on Alena. " _You! You_ did this! Where did you even get those tapes, you weasel!?"

" _Me?_ I didn't do anything!" Alena exclaimed in shock.

Charlotte was about to fire back when she was suddenly pelted by someone's extra large cola and bucket of popcorn. At seeing her _very expensive_ clothes ruined, she shrieked loudly. "You're paying for my dry cleaning!"

"The judges have decided that this match is now over due to a possible case of infraction. All competition matches will be on hold while an investigation is conducted," Vivian said with a frown.

~:~

Charlotte grumbled as she roughly shoved her belongings into her bag. It was _one_ time! So she had _mistakenly_ bought a fake Ribbon and entered the Johto Grand Festival with it? It was _last_ year! It's not like she had actually won anyways. What difference did it make _now_? Now, everyone was calling her a cheater. She'd even been disqualified and kicked out of the Hoenn Grand Festival! Charlotte huffed.

Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte saw that someone had entered the room with her. Risking a side glance, Charlotte immediately recognized the person. "What do _you_ want? Shouldn't you be celebrating Alena's victory?" Charlotte said with a scoff.

"I just came to see you off. What's wrong with that?" Harley questioned with a sweet smile.

"Whatever. I will give you some advice though. Ditch Alena while you still can. She acts all sweet, but she's nothing more than a slippery Ekans. Something tells me that she would stab her "friends" in the back the moment she has to," Charlotte said snootily while shouldering her purse.

Harley balked. "You think Alena had something to do with your darkest secrets coming into the light?" Harley questioned before sniffing loudly. "I'm hurt. You're giving Alena credit for _my_ work."

" _What!?"_

"Like I told you, Sinclair. You mess with Alena, you're messing with me. Unlike Alena, Harley doesn't play fair. Buh-bye!" Harley said before blowing a kiss and leaving Charlotte alone. Even through the closed doors and thick walls, he could still hear a noticeably shrill scream of frustration. "Music to my ears..."

~:~

Alena wasn't sure how she felt about Charlotte's disqualification. It was a good thing that Charlotte's cheating had been exposed. It was unfair that she be allowed to compete when everyone else had worked hard to obtain their Ribbons. But, it would have been nice to have been able to win against Charlotte fair and square. Alena had been looking forward to the closure. Maybe another time?

"How are you feeling, Alena?" Anya questioned as she watched Alena stare off into space.

"Hm? Oh I'm fine, Anya. I was just distracted. I was thinking about Charlotte," Alena said.

Anya rolled her eyes. " _That_ cheater? Why are you thinking about _her_ for? She already got kicked out," Anya declared and rubbed Togepi's shell. The Spike Ball Pokémon cried to happily while waving its arms back and forth.

"I guess I was just wondering what's gonna happen to her. Her reputation has been ruined and we don't even know who did it or why," Alena explained.

"Who cares? A cheater is a cheater, Alena. She should have known better. You break the rules? You have to deal with the consequences. Right, Togepi?"

"Toge-pri!"

"See? Even Togepi agrees."

Alena smiled softly at her sister without responding. Alena did feel a bit sorry for Charlotte. But what's done is done. What could she do? Charlotte _had_ cheated. It would probably be best to just move on. There was still a Contest going on.

~:~

"Harley's team is losing significant points! He better do something quick or it's _all over!"_ Vivian announced into her microphone.

"You can do it, May!" Max shouted down from his seat in the audience.

Anya shot the boy a glare before shouting, "Go, Harley! You can beat May _easy!"_

Max glared harshly at Anya, but she ignored him. Alena watched the two silently fight with each other with an amused look. It was a shame that they couldn't get along for more than five minutes. It would have been nice for Anya to have at least _one_ friend who was her own age.

" _Go, Bulbasaur! Petal Dance now!"_ May commanded.

"Gorgeous! May turns the tide on Harley yet _again_ as her Bulbasaur rains a _beautiful_ Petal Dance all over the field!" Vivian exclaimed.

"Go, May!" Max shouted in glee.

"Go, _Harley_!" Anya shouted directly at Max. Max grit his teeth angrily while glaring harshly at Anya. Anya returned his glare with a fierce one of her own. It was a startling sight to see the two eight-year-old practically steaming as they shot each other record-setting, death glares.

Alena placed a hand on Anya's shoulder as said, "Why don't you switch seats with me, Anya? You don't want to spend the whole time arguing with Max do you?"

"That's okay, Alena," Anya said before turning to face the stage again. She had a haughty smirk on her face as she said, "I want a front row seat when Max starts crying after Harley beats May."

" _What!?_ I _won't_ cry and May _won't_ lose!"

Alena shook her head with a defeated sigh. She spotted Ash, Brock, and Caroline shooting her sympathetic looks and a few shrugs. They had all probably already given up on getting the two children to play nice a _long_ time ago.

" _Beautifully, Silver Wind! Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!"_

Alena frowned deeply. _Shoot._ While she was friends with both Coordinators, she had been hoping that Harley would have been victorious. Watching his Banette and Cacturn go down from May's combination attack was almost as hard to watch for Alena as it was for Harley.

" _Ha!_ I _told_ ya May would win!"

"She got _lucky!"_

~:~

"I'm facing Drew... I'm facing Drew... _I'm_ facing _Drew..."_

Alena stopped eating her soup long enough to shoot May a worried glance. The two were sitting in a decently packed restaurant for dinner. Well, Alena was eating dinner. May was staring at hers and talking to herself. "May, is there anything you want to talk about?"

"I'm facing Drew in the next round, Alena. Why _me?_ " May whined and slumped forward. Alena quickly pushed her plate to the side so that May wouldn't end up with a ketchup-covered chin.

"Why not? What's wrong with Drew?" Alena questioned.

"Why couldn't it be anyone else? It's just that Drew's really good. I don't know if I can beat him. I mean, I've been working _really_ hard, but I don't know if I'm ready," May explained.

"When do you think you'll be ready?" Alena questioned with a patient smile.

"...Next year?"

"I don't think they'll let you postpose the match that long," Alena joked. "Listen, May. You made it this far just like Drew did. You've been working hard just like he has. Just because your opponent is strong doesn't mean you can quit. Don't you want to show everyone what you and your Pokémon are made of?"

"Yeah. I do. I just don't want to lose..."

"No one does. But if you don't at least try, you automatically lose. That would be a pretty big waste. I really want to see what you can do. I have faith in you," Alena said and sipped some of her water.

"You do?" May questioned as she sat up. "Well, thanks Alena. I have faith in you to. Now, I'm ready to go. I hope we both make it to the finals. Then, we can face each other to see who's better between the two of us."

Alena smiled. May was looking better already. "That sounds good, May. I'm looking forward to it. By the way, where are your friends and Caroline?"

"Ash is training with his Pokémon for the Hoenn League, my mom and Brock are trading cooking recipes, and Max is following Anya around because he wants to play with Togepi," May responded while digging into her burger and fries.

"I'll never understand how those two go from shouting and glaring at each other to following the other around," Alena said.

"Who knows? At least Max is hanging out with someone his own age. He's usually so stuck-up and thinks that he's better than everyone else," May said with a shrug.

"Anya's the _exact_ same way," Alena said with a laugh.

May joined in on the laughter before shaking her head. "Younger siblings. Am I right?"

" _Oh yeah..."_

~:~

Alena sat with Harley backstage as they watched today's proceedings. Harley stood with his arms folded over his chest and a frown on his face as he glared at the monitor. Alena was transfixed by the determination on both Drew and May's faces.

"The only thing wrong with this match is that they both can't lose," Harley grumbled.

"That's a mean thing to say, Harley. Why do you want both of them to lose?" Alena questioned. Alena was startled when Harley suddenly exclaimed while frantically running his hands over his hat and through his hair.

"Because May beat me and it's so _obvious_ that she's with Drew! They _both deserve_ to lose!"

"...That...doesn't make much sense, Harley."

Harley groaned loudly before resuming his glaring match with the television. He pouted with his arms folded. If only he had spent more time getting revenge against May... He was _sure_ that he could have beat her! "Just promise me that you'll beat whoever wins this match, Alena. I couldn't _stand_ it if you lost to either one of them. _Especially_ May."

"I'll try my best, Harley."

" _Flygon, hit 'em with Steel Wing!"_

_"Time's up!"_

Harley and Alena quickly refocused on the screen.

~:~

Alena took a deep breath to steady her nerves. All her Pokémon watched her expectantly.

"This is it, guys. The final match. We're facing Drew in the final match. Altria and Aggron," are you two ready to go?"

"Tari-aa!" Altaria trilled while perching on Aggron's horns. Aggron grunted once with a ready smirk.

"We'll do our very best out there, everyone. We'll try to win that Ribbon Cup," Alena said to all her Pokémon. Absol, Milotic and Manetric all cheered loudly while Sceptile nodded his head once in acceptance.

 _"Will the final, two contestants make their way toward the center stage,"_ a voice requested over the intercom in the locker room.

"That's our cue," Alena said while recalling all her Pokémon. She took one more deep breath.

~:~

" _Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I'd like to welcome you to the final match of the Grand Festival! This match will be between Alena and Drew!"_ the Vivian on the television exclaimed.

Alex grinned at the television in anticipation. Winona smiled softly at the sight of Alena facing off with her Aggron and Altaria.

~:~

" _Like all other matches, this will be a two-on-two double battle with a five minute time limit!"_

Isaac removed the glasses from his face as he sat up from the blueprints laid out before him. He watched Alena face off against the Trainer named Drew. He'd never bothered to become a Pokémon Trainer, but seeing his daughters' accomplishments made him want to consider taking it up (just for fun of course).

"Good luck, Alena," Isaac said to the television.

~:~

Alena stared evenly across the field at Drew and his Masquerain and Flygon. She wasn't 100% sure she could beat Drew. He was a great Coordinator. But, so was she! She'd worked hard to get where she was now. She wasn't about to give up! Besides, she had a plan.

"Flygon, use Flamethrower! Silver Wind, Masquerain!"

"Altaria, use Dragonbreath to block that Flamethrower! Aggron, Use Iron Defense!"

Flygon's Flamethrower met Altaria's Dragonbeath in the center of the field, with neither side overpowering the other. Aggron' metal shell gleamed in the sunlight just before the crescent-shaped blasts struck him.

"The Silver Wind seems to have no effect on Aggron at all! They can't get through it's hard shell! Amazing!" Vivian exclaimed.

Drew clenched his jaw. "Flygon, Dragonbreath on Altaria! Masquerain, use Ice Beam!"

"Use Swift at full power, Altaria!" Alena commanded.

"Tari- _aa!"_ Altaria cried out as and endles stream of yellow stars shot out of her mouth and swirled around her and Aggron like a cyclone. The Dragonbreath and Ice Beam hit the Swift shield, but weren't able to penetrate it.

"Alright, Altaria. Use Sing!"

"Tari," Altaria cooed in a soothing voice as colorful music notes floated on the air towards Masquerain and Flygon.

"I don't think so. Flygon, blow them away!" Drew commanded with a grin. While Flygon flapped its wings, a powerful gust of wind sent the notes flying just before they shattered into tiny pieces. "Nice try," Drew said as he flipped his hair out of his eye.

"Iron Tail, Aggron!"

Drew's eyes widened. He looked up in time to see Aggron swing its tail and swipe both his Masquerain and Flygon with one hit. Drew narrowed his gaze. He had been careless enough to fall for Alena's trick. The Sing attack was a diversion to give her Aggron enough time to close in on his Pokémon!

"And Aggron delivers a _powerful_ Iron Tail that leaves both of Drew's Pokémon reeling and his points dropping!" Vivian announced.

"You got me there, Alena. But don't count on it happening again," Drew said.

"I'm surprised it actually worked," Alena said with a determined smile. "Altaria, use Peck on Masquerain! Aggron, Metal Claw on Flygon!"

"Dodge it!"

While Altaria stuck her beak out at Masquerain repeatedly, Aggron swung his glowing claws at Flygon. Both Pokémon- being too slow for their opponents- missed their targets with each strike, causing Alena's points to drop.

"Alena! Come on! You have to win!" Anya shouted down at her sister from the crowd.

"Come _on,_ Alena! You didn't come this far to lose to _Drew!"_ Harley shouted.

"You can do it, Alena!" May cheered.

Alena watched her Pokémon continue to miss for several more seconds. _'Come on...'_ Suddenly, she shouted, " _Now!_ Aggron use Iron Tail!"

With speed faster than Flygon had been expecting, Aggron swung his large tail around before striking it across Flygon's torso. The Dragon type went flying across the field and right into Masquerain! "I don't believe it folks! It looks like Aggron and Altaria were setting up Flygon and Masquerain for a double, sneak attack!" Vivian shouted in surprise.

" _Now_ use Sing, Altaria!" Alena commanded with a grin.

" _No!_ Get out of there!" Drew exclaimed.

"Tari-aaa!" Altaria cooed once again, but this time at full power. Flygon and Masquerain couldn't avoid the attack in time and both promptly fell asleep on the field.

"Oh _my!_ Both of Drew's Pokémon have fallen asleep! With only a small lead on Alena, will he be able to pull out a win!?" Vivian questioned.

"You have to get up!" Drew called out to his Pokémon frantically. How could he have been so _careless_!? Alena had been stringing him along this entire match! And now he was _really_ paying for it. If he didn't do something soon-

"Playtime's over. Altaria, use Dragonbreath!" Alena commanded. Without hesitation, Altaria reared her head back just before firing the most powerful Dragonbreath that she had released all day. The blast sent both Flygon and Masquerain flying into the air before they fell carelessly to the field in a battered heap.

Drew's eyes widened. He glanced at the points long enough to see his take a huge dive. Was he really going to lose to Alena _again!?_

"It looks like Drew's caught a lucky break! Flygon and Masquerain are waking up!"

Alena watched Flygon and Masquerain slowly pull themselves up from the field before rising up into the air. The two looked extremely beaten and worse for wear. She had been hoping to surprise Drew with her Pokémons' speed and power and it looked like her plan had worked. There was only two and a half minutes left and Drew was down to less than half his points.

"Flygon, use Sandstorm!"

"Iron Defense, Aggron!" Alena commanded. Flygon quickly whipped up a sand vortex the went straight for Alena's Pokémon. Altaria quickly flew behind Aggron just as Aggron raised his defenses and stuck out his arms. The sandstorm collided with Aggron's outstretched hands and stopped in its tracks. "Use your Dragonbreath, Altaria!"

Drew watched the Dragonbreath strike the Sandstorm at the same time that Aggron was keeping it at bay. His jaw dropped slightly at the sight of the sand being blasted away into nothing. Altaria perched itself on top of Aggron's horns with a waiting expression on her face.

"Masquerain, use Bubble and follow up with Silver Wind!"

"Use Swift, Altaria!"

"It seems that Drew just can't catch a break! No matter what he tries, his every attempt is thwarted by Alena! Can he still turn this around with only a minute left!?" Vivian asked in a dramatic voice.

"He can try. Aggron, use Metal Claw! Altaria, give Aggron some help with your Dragonbreath!" Alena said.

"Agg-RON!" Aggron shouted just as he took off in a sprint. His fierce eyes left both Masquerain and Flygon slightly panicked. His glowing claws were struck by Altaria's Dragonbreath and given an even brighter glow.

"Oh my! What a powerful attack!" Vivian exclaimed.

"Dodge it!" Drew shouted just before Aggron's attack hit.

" _That's it!"_ Vivian interjected. "It's battle off for Drew. Both his Pokémon are unable to battle! Which means that the winner of the Hoenn League Grand Festival is Alena! Congratulations!"

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: So, I got 36 male Gym Leaders. What about you guys? Brock, Lt. Surge, Koga, Blaine, Giovanni, Blue, Falkner, Morty, Chuck, Pryce, Brawly, Wattson, Norman, Tate, Wallace, Juan, Roark, Crasher Wake, Byron, Volkner, Cilan, Chili, Cress, Burgh, Clay, Brycen, Drayden, Cheren, Marlon, Grant, Ramos, Clemont, Wulfric, Danny, Rudy, and Drake!
> 
> Anyways, here is the final roster for Alena's Pokémon. I even included the levels of her Pokémon for you this time.
> 
> On Hand
> 
> Sceptile {♂, Level 45, Ability: Overgrow} – Dragon Claw, Leaf Blade, Solar Beam, Bullet Seed
> 
> Absol {♀, Level 43, Ability: Super Luck}- Slash, Feint Attack, Perish Song, Future Sight
> 
> Manectric {♂, Level 39, Ability: Lightning Rod} – Hyper Beam, Thunder, Bite, Thunderbolt
> 
> Aggron {♂, Level 43, Ability: Sturdy} – Iron Tail, Iron Defense, Metal Claw, Earthquake
> 
> Altaria {♀, Level 35, Ability: Natural Cure}- Sing, Peck, Swift, DragonBreath
> 
> Milotic {♀, Level 33, Ability: Marvel Scale}- Water Gun, Twister, Recover, Water Pulse
> 
> With Anya
> 
> Togepi: {♀, Level 5, Ability: Serene Grace}- Growl, Charm, Metronome
> 
> Don't forget to comment and wait for the Epilogue! :)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: You guys did it! You stuck it out with me through this entire ride! I'm so proud of you guys. :D So, let's tie a bow on this one and put it to rest. Shall we?

She still loved sunrise more than any other time of day. She'd changed a lot over her journey, but some things would always remain constant. However, there were some _minor_ changes to other aspects of her life. Instead of having a delightful sea breeze flooding her home early in the mornings, the mornings were still and silent. That is, it was until everyone started waking up for the day.

"Manec! Manectric!"

Alena held her pitcher of lemonade steadily as she froze in place. She let Manectric zip by before continuing on to the table. As she was pouring out three glasses of lemonade, Alena heard Anya yelling down at her from upstairs.

" _Alena! Have you seen the towel I use to dry off Togepi!? I can't find it!"_

"It's in the wash!" Alena replied.

" _Thank you!"_

Finishing up with the third glass, Alena placed it down onto the table before returning the pitcher to the refrigerator. While she was doing this, she heard her father's low muttering as he entered the room. "Morning, dad," she greeted with a smile.

"Morning, sweetheart. Have you seen the blueprints I was working on? I had them in my office, but I can't find them now," Isaac explained.

"I haven't seen them. But if you left them in a mess again, Altaria probably cleaned them up for you," Alena said. Isaac sighed loudly before leaving the room. Alena tried to stifle her laughter.

At the sound of the doorbell chiming, Alena closed the fridge door before going to answer the door. When Manectric zipped through the house yet again, Alena skillfully dodged him without any hesitation. Pulling the front door open, Alena smiled brightly at her guest.

"Morning, Sunshine," Alex greeted brightly.

"Good morning, Alex. This is a surprise. Congratulations on winning the Ever Grande Conference. I saw the whole thing on TV," Alena said and stepped to the side. "Not to be rude, but what are you doing here? I figured that you'd be home celebrating."

Alex entered the home before saying, "Thanks. To answer your question, I _was_ home. But, I left again."

"Why did you leave?" Alena asked with a puzzled frown.

"Since I won the Ever Grande Conference, I get to challenge the Elite Four. Before I do that, I want to get some intense training done. So, I decided that I'm going to head back to Ever Grande City while I train. There's a cave on the island where a lot of Trainers go to do serious training," Alex explained.

"I get it. Then I wish you good luck and thanks for letting me know. But a phone call would have done the trick," Alena teased.

"I know that. But, I couldn't have a battle with you over a phone call," Alex explained. Alena's face spelled surprise. "What do you say, Sunshine? Can I have a battle before I start my training? I'm really psyched to see what you and your Pokémon can do."

Alena laughed before shrugging her shoulders once. "Why not? Just don't get mad when I win," she said. Alex's eyebrows shot up before he smirked. This was going to be fun...

~:~

Anya bounced Togepi on her lap from where she sat on a lawn chair in the backyard. Anya laughed every time that Togepi let out a happy cheer and waved her tiny arms. Out of the corner of her eye, Anya saw her father tapping his fingers on his knee nervously. Placing Togepi down onto her lap, Anya sighed at her father's behavior. "Don't you want to sit down and watch, dad?" Anya suggested.

"No thank you, Anya. I'm fine," Isaac responded.

"Are you sure? You look more nervous than Alena did for her first Contest. And that's saying something," Anya informed her father with a smirk.

"It's just that I've never seen your sister have a real battle in person before. She's always been battling on TV. I'm a little excited and nervous at the same time," Isaac explained.

"Don't worry, dad. Alena's a great battler. Plus, she and Alex have battled before."

Alena stared evenly at Alex from her side of the "field". "What do you think, Alex? A full six-on-six battle sound good to you?" Alena asked.

"Hmm. Let's make it interesting. How about a six-on-six double battle?" Alex suggested. "Substitutions are allowed and two Pokemon must be on the field at all times. Unless you only have one left of course."

"That's fine with me. I'll go with Manectric and Aggron," Alena decided.

"Manec!" Manectric cried out happily before zipping onto the field. Aggron stomped onto the field slowly and took his place next to Manectric. All Alena's other Pokémon stood/sat around the yard to watch the battle play out.

Alex nodded to himself before taking out two Pokéballs. "Scythe and Aries, I choose you two!" Alex declared. "You can go first, Alena."

"You're gonna wish you hadn't said that. Manectric, use Thunderbolt on Scythe and Aggron, use your Metal Claw on Aries!" Alena commanded.

"Scythe, use Double Team to dodge!" Alex shouted. "Aries, use Night Shade!"

Just as Manectric's Thunderbolt was about to hit Scythe, the Bug Pokémon made multiple copies of itself. Manectric's jaw dropped as he looked around at all the Scyther copies that were flying around him. Meanwhile, Aggron closed in on Aries with the claws on his hand glowing white. Aries horn glowed black just before a black beam streaked with dark red lines was fired at Aggron. With his hand forward, Aggron used his claws to power through the Night Shade. Aries halted its attack in surprise just before Aggron sliced at it with his glowing claws.

Alex's eyes widened in surprise. He watched Aries tumble away helplessly just before Aggron let out a mighty roar. He could see that her Pokémon had gotten stronger since their last battle, but he hadn't expected them to be _this_ much stronger. Nonetheless, he wasn't about to lose now.

"Way to go, Aggron! Now, use Iron Tail!" Alena exclaimed.

"Aries, use String Shot to slow Aggron down!" Alex commanded. "Scythe, use Quick Attack!"

"Aggron, block that String Shot. Manectric, use your Bite attack," Alena said.

"Agg- _Ron!"_ Aggron shouted and used an extended arm to block the oncoming String Shot. The sticky webs quickly wrapped around Aggron's arm, but the giant didn't flinch. When he had a decent amount of web around his hand, Aggron reared the arm back and grabbed the string with his other hand. Caught off guard, Aries was pulled through the air at Aggron's mercy.

Manectric watched the many Scythe copies flying towards him quickly at the same time. When the real Scythe managed to land a hit to his side, Manectric did his best to ignore the pain and latch onto Scythe's scythe-shaped appendage with his teeth.

"Use Thunder, Manectric!"

"Manec!" Manectric grunted through clenched teeth before generating a blast of electricity from his body and into Scythe.

"Scyther!" Scythe cried out in pain.

"Way to go, Alena!" Anya cheered.

"Togee! Togee!" Togepi cheered with her hands in the air.

"Aries, use Poison Sting on Manectric!"

"Aggron, defend Manectric!" Alena commanded.

"Aggron!" Aggron shouted before quickly diving for Manectric and grabbing onto the smaller Pokémon. Like some sort of unrefined tumbler, Aggron pulled Manectric to him before using his body as a shield from the Poison Sting while tumbling away.

"Not exactly what I had in mind, but still effective," Alena said with a small laugh. "Aggron, use Iron Tail on Aries! Manectric, use Thunderbolt on Aggron!"

Isaac balked. "Why is she attacking her _own_ Pokémon?" he asked incredulously.

"Relax, dad. Alena probably has a plan. Just watch," Anya said.

As Aggron blazed its way towards Aries with his tail glowing and a fierce look on his face, Manectric fired a jolt of electricity at his glowing tail. Rings of yellow electricity ran all over the tail just seconds before the attack hit. Alex's eyes widened as Aries flew past him and into one of the few tree in the yard. With a stunned expression, he stared at his unconscious Pokémon. As he recalled Aries, Alex turned an impressed look onto Alena. "I gotta admit. Your Aggron is something else. It's a lot faster than any Aggron I've ever seen," Alex complimented.

"Thanks. I can always count on Aggron to give it one hundred and ten percent every time," Alena replied. "All of my Pokémon have worked really hard. You'll have to give it your all if you want to beat them."

"I intend to. Batty, you're up!" Alex exclaimed and released his Crobat.

"Aggron, take a break and let Altaria take over," Alena said.

"Ag," Aggron grunted and shot his opponents a final glare before leaving the field.

"Taria!" Altaria thrilled as she took the field.

Alex narrowed his gaze suspiciously. Against a Poison and Flying type like Batty, Aggron would have been the smarter choice. "Batty, use Supersonic!"

"Altaria, use Sing!"

While Batty shot blue rings out of its mouth, Altaria sang a soothing melody as loud as she could. Alex frowned at the clashing sound waves. He had to try something else...

"Manectric, use Thunder!"

"Double Team, Scythe! Batty, get out of there!" Alex commanded.

Isaac watched as several, dark clouds quickly rolled in. Was it going to rain? He could hear the thunder coming from above. But before he could call out to the kids to end the battle, the largest lightning bolt he had ever seen shot down from the clouds. The lightning was so immense that it struck every Scythe duplicate as well as grazed Batty.

Alex frowned deeply. "Batty, use Poison Fang on Manectric and give it everything you've got!"

"Altaria, use Dragonbreath on Batty!" Alena shouted.

As Batty swooped in quickly towards Manectric with its fangs glowing a toxic purple, Altaria reared her head back and fired a thick, green beam at Batty. Batty was able to easily duck and dodge this attack, however. Before Manectric could move, Batty was already sinking its teeth into his neck.

"Manec!" Manectric cried out in pain. Once Batty had loosened its bite Manectric quickly fell to his knees. Alena's eyes widened fearfully. That attack alone had done a considerable amount of damage. But now Manectric had been poisoned as well! She would have to hurry up and end this. "Altaria, use Peck on Scythe. Manectric, use Thunderbolt on Batty," Alena tried.

"I don't think so. Batty, use your Poison Fang on Altaria! Scythe, use Fury Cutter on Manectric!"

In the middle of her descent on Scythe, Altaria was cut off by Batty's fangs gnashing at her wings. In order to dodge, Altaria quickly ascended but Batty was right on her tail. While on shaky legs, Manectric leapt backwards out of the path of Scythe's swinging blades. He was suffering from the effects of the poison faster than anyone could have predicted. The more he moved, the harder he panted and slower he became. Eventually, Scythe was able to land a few hits. "Manec! Manectric!" Manectric cried out.

"Use Bite and follow up with Thunderbolt!"

With a hardened gaze, Manectric leapt at Scythe with his teeth bared. Scythe attempted to move backwards to dodge, but Manectric was still able to capture its foot in his jaw. Without wasting time, Manectric used the last bit of energy to channel all the electricity he could from his body into Scythe's.

Everyone watched as Scythe immediately passed out from the attack, its body falling to the field in a heap. Manectric panted heavily as he stared down at his fallen opponent. He quickly turned back to Alena to bark happily, but before he could get a sound out, he too fell forward in exhaustion.

"Scythe!"

"Manectric!"

"Poor Manectric. He fought really hard," Anya said as she watched Alena recall Manectric to his ball.

"He's a tough one for someone so small," Isaac agreed.

"I'm going with Beatrice. What about you?" Alex asked and released his Beedrill.

"I choose Milotic," Alena decided. From where she had been lounging in the pool, Milotic quickly slithered out and onto the field.

"Your Milotic is even prettier in person than it is on television," Alex complimented. Before Alena could thank him for his kind words, Alex was calling out attacks to his Pokémon. "Batty, Poison Fang on Altaria! Beatrice, use your Pin Missile on Milotic!"

"Altaria, fly up into the air! And Milotic, use Twister and follow it up with Water Gun!" Alena commanded.

"Tariiii!" Altaria trilled as she quickly ascended. Batty was quick to take off after Altaria while his fangs oozed a purple toxin. Beatrice's stingers gleamed in the sunlight before glowing white and firing multiple missiles of white light towards Milotic. With an expression of pure calm, Milotic lengthened her body before spinning gracefully and whipping up a vicious twister. Everyone in the backyard curled in on themselves as the winds threatened to send them all flying. Beatrice's attack was pulled towards Milotic's Twister, but was abruptly destroyed by the streams of Milotic's Water Gun that were whipping about like tentacles.

"Try a Supersonic, Batty!"

"Use Sing, Altaria!"

"I think Alena has a really good chance of winning this time," Anya said with a small smile.

Isaac raised a brow at her statement before questioning, " _This_ time? Alena hasn't won before?"

Anya shook her head in the negative. "Ever since we met Alex, he's always beaten Alena. It makes sense though. He's been training with his Pokémon a lot longer than Alena has. But, I really think that she can do it this time."

"Togee, Togee-prii!" Togepri chimed in with her hands held high.

"Milotic, give Beatrice a taste of your Water Pulse and Altaria, let Batty have some of your DragonBreath!" Alena exclaimed.

"Use Twineedle to defend yourself, Beatrice! Batty, use Supersonic again!"

Before Altaria could fire her attack, she was assaulted with powerful, supersonic waves. Altaria writhed mid-air for several seconds before her eyes gained a purple outline. Despite her sudden confusion, Altaria still charged up a DragonBreath attack. The blue, watery ball that was speedily making waves towards Beatrice was easily punctured by both of Beatrice's stingers. Suddenly, a thick, green beam struck Beatrice before pushing her roughly into the lawn. Everyone stopped before glancing upwards at Altaria.

"Well, _that_ was convenient," Isaac commented when he spotted Beatrice's unconscious form.

"Tell me about it. I guess the confusion came in handy," Anya inputted.

Alex recalled Beatrice before taking out Pinsir's Pokéball. "I'm not sure how you managed that," Alex said with a smirk.

"I guess we're just really lucky," Alena replied while recalling Altaria. Just as Alex tossed a new ball, Alena released Altaria back onto the field and simultaneously cured her confusion. "I think we'll go first this time. Altaria, Dragon Breath! Milotic, Water Gun!"

"Dodge those, Pincher! Batty, use Poison Fang on Altaria and give it everything you've got," Alex commanded.

Having just combined her attack with Milotic's Water Gun, Altaria was caught off guard by Batty's quick attack. "Tari!" she cried out in pain when Batty's poisonous fangs bit down onto her wing. Roughly shaking Batty off her wing, Altaria weakly flapped the appendage in order to stay airborne. From below her, she could hear Aggron's loud, threatening exclamation. She almost sang out in happiness at his rare show of concern, but could only offer him a weak smile of thanks.

"Altaria! Can you go on?" Alena shouted up at Altaria in worry.

"...Tari!" Altaria replied after some time.

"Batty, use Bite on Altaria! Use your Seismic Toss attack on Milotic, Pincher!" Alex exclaimed.

Faster than anyone could see, Pincher sped towards Milotic before grabbing her slim body in his horns. Jumping into the air and flinging his head back, Pincher threw Milotic into the pool. Alena's jaw dropped at the sight of the large wave of water rising above her. Shielding her head with her arms was futile, however. Groaning lowly, Alena took in her soaked clothes. At least Milotic was more or less alright. Before she could dodge the oncoming attack, Altaria felt Batty forcefully attack her neck with his fangs. With a pained cry, Altaria plummeted from the sky before splashing down into the pool below her. "Altaria!" Alena called out in worry, before being splashed yet again.

Without any warning, Aggron was pulling Altaria's waterlogged body out of the pool before gently laying her down at the poolside. With a low growl, Aggron heavily stomped over to the makeshift battlefield before glaring up at Batty with a dark glint in his icy-blue eyes. "Uh... I guess I'll go with Aggron," Alena said as she recalled Altaria.

"Looks like he made that decision for you," Alex chuckled.

Alena shrugged once with a small smile before commanding, "Milotic, use Recover and then use Twister! Aggron, use Earthquake!"

"Fly away!" Alex shouted up at Batty. From where she floated in what was left of the pool water, Milotic twisted her serpentine body in oder to whip up another Twister. While Milotic incorporated the pool water into her vicious twister, Aggron stomped roughly onto the ground and caused a record-topping earthquake to rip through the earth. Alex's eyes widened. It was like witnessing a level ten natural disaster! He watched Batty struggle to fly away, but he was slowly being sucked into the twister. Unfortunately, Pincher was immobilized because of the Earthquake that Aggron had caused. Before Alex could call out to Batty, he saw Aggron snatch Batty out of the air with his claws. "Wait, _what!?"_

"Metal Claw, Aggron!" Alena commanded. Aggron wouldn't have been able to reach Batty while the bat was up in the air. But, Milotic's Twister had been perfect at drawing the Poison type in.

"Agg-RON!" Aggron shouted with his glowing claws raised.

"Pincher, quick! Guillotine!" Alex shouted frantically. Just as Aggron was bringing his arm down for a devastating attack, Pincher dashed forwards and caught the arm between his pincers. "Get out of there, Batty. pincher, use Seismic Toss!"

"Iron Defense, Aggron!"

Alex grit his teeth as he frowned deeply. Aggron was _already_ a powerful Pokémon. But now, it's temper was giving it an extra boost of strength and energy. It shouldn't be able to, but Aggron was giving Pincher a hard time! He wasn't sure if it qualified as an attack or not, but the Steel type was practically wailing on Pincher with his free arm while the other arm was locked between Pincher's pincers. And the boost to Aggron's defense from that Iron Defense wasn't helping... "Batty, help Pincher with your Supersonic!"

"Milotic, use Water Pulse on Batty!" Alena commanded. Milotic fired the watery ball at Batty, but the bat smoothly dodged the attack before screeching down at Aggron. Alena frowned before shouting for a Water Gun. But, it was too late. The few seconds of being attacked by Batty's Supersonic was more than enough to give Pincher the upper hand. As Batty dodged Milotic's Water Guns, Pincher roughly pushed Aggron down onto his back before grabbed at his plated throat with his pincers.

"Oh no..." Anya sighed.

"With one hit? I thought Aggron was stronger than that," Isaac commented as he stared at Aggron's unconscious form in surprise.

"Alena told me that Guillotine can knock out an opponent with only one hit. I don't think it's fair, but it can happen," Anya explained. "Now, they're both down to three Pokémon each."

"Absol, I choose you!" Alena called out. She glanced at her tired Milotic before looking at the exhausted Batty. She knew that Batty and Pincher were two of Alex's strongest Pokémon, but his Hera was even stronger and it hadn't even battled yet! Then again, Sceptile was her strongest Pokémon and he hadn't battled yet either. She was have to battle smart if she wanted to win. "Absol, Future Sight! Milotic, use Recover!"

Alex watched Alena's Pokémon with a pensive frown. She may not have been a Trainer for more than a few months, but Alena was really good at strategizing. Alex would bet anything that she was already setting herself (and him) up for her victory. He'd just have to throw off her plans. "Batty, use Poison Fang on Milotic and Pincher use X-Scissor on Absol!"

"Dodge those attacks!"

Milotic quickly ducked under the remaining pool water to escape Batty while Absol leapt backwards and out of Pincher's reach. For several seconds, Pincher and Batty were at a loss and completely unable to hit their marks. "You can't duck and dodge forever, Sunshine! You have to attack sometime," Alex teased.

"Not really. All I have to do is kill time," Alena replied with a smirk. Alex frowned before glancing around. That darned Future Sight could show up at any time... "But, it wouldn't hurt to attack. Absol, use Dark Pulse!"

Alex's eyes widened in shock. Absol opened her mouth and a beam of black and purple circles was fired directly into Pincher's chest. "I didn't know that Absol could use Dark Pulse," Alex said in a surprised tone.

"It's new," Alena replied with a smirk.

Just as Alex was about to praise Alena for Absol's new move, five wormholes appeared around Batty and Pincher and a barrage of electrified psychic energy assailed both Pokémon. "Batty!" Alex cried out when he saw Batty fall from the sky and land in a heap on the field. With a deep frown, he recalled him. "Thanks, Batty. I promise that we'll win this."

"Come on, Alena! You've got this!" Anya cheered while Isaac smiled excitedly next to her.

"I have to say, you're one tough Trainer, Sunshine. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you belonged in the Gyms instead of Pokémon Contests," Alex said with a chuckled before releasing his final Pokémon.

"Heracross!" Hera exclaimed as she readied herself for battle.

"Thanks. But I think I'll stick to Contests," Alena replied.

"Pincher, use Guillotine on Milotic! Hera, use Megahorn on Absol!"

"Absol, Future Sight! And you use Water Pulse, Milotic!"

Anya watched the Pokémon fiercely go against each other with everything they had. Being a Trainer was _serious_ business. Glancing down at Togepi, Anya wasn't sure that she could do such intense training (especially not to a baby Pokémon). Of course she wanted to be a Trainer. But did training Pokémon mean that it had to get so _tough_?

Alena frowned. This was not going well. Hera was _way_ too strong for Absol, especially with the type advantage. At this rate, Milotic wouldn't last much longer against Pincher either. Well, she still had a last resort... "Quick, Absol! Use your Perish Song!"

"Stop it! Use Guillotine and Take Down!" Alex exclaimed. A Perish Song _now_ would ruin _everything!_

Just as Absol opened her mouth to release the crimson soundwaves from her mouth, Pincher and Hera quickly ran and flew towards her respectively. Just as the sound waves started to spread out, both Pokémon reached their arms and pincers out towards Absol. Before they could grab her, however, Milotic's slender body slid into front of them and effectively blocked their path. "Milotic!" Alena cried out if shock. Both Pincher's and Hera's attacks hit Milotic head on, instantly knocking her unconscious and giving Absol time to cast her spell for doom on all of them.

Alex nearly groaned aloud. Their fate was sealed, _literally._ If he didn't beat her Absol and Sceptile soon, he would lose the battle for sure. Honestly, he should have seen this coming. ' _Strategy,'_ Alex grumbled mentally.

"Now they're down to their last two Pokémon," Isaac commented. "This should be easy. Alena has the advantage."

"Not really, Dad. Both her Pokémon are at a type disadvantage to Alex's gross bugs," Anya remarked. From his side of the field, he rolled his eyes at Anya's (totally incorrect) opinion.

With an air of cool aloofness, Sceptile leapt down from the roof of the house and onto the battlefield. With his side facing Pincher and Hera, he offered them a cool gaze from over his shoulder. "Let's win this guys. Abol, use Future Sight! Sceptile, use Dragon Claw on Pincher!" Alena commanded.

A light-green aura forms around each of Sceptile's hands just before they turned into a clawed shape. "Scep-tile!" Sceptile exclaimed as he slashed his glowing claws across Pincher's face and body. As the green claws vanished from Sceptile's hands, everyone paused. Sceptile glanced down at Pincher cooly before glancing away. Suddenly, Pincher fell forward in an unconscious heap. With a stunned expression, Alex glanced between his unconscious Pincher and the cool-looking Sceptile. "Sceptile," Sceptile said with a smirk.

Alena blinked in confusion before exchanging a look with Absol. The Dark type shrugged once. "That was... easier than expected," Alena commented.

"That was a critical hit," Alex corrected. "Did you see where Sceptile aimed his attack? He hit on the same spot that Aggron had been pounding away at earlier."

"Is that cheating?" Isaac whispered to Anya.

"Not if Alena's winning," Anya replied seriously.

"Alright then, Hera. It's up to you now. Double Brick Break attacks!"

"Use Slash, Absol! And you use Leaf Blade, Sceptile!"

Blow for blow, the three Pokémon went at each other without letting up. Like a martial arts master, Hera blocked both Absol's and Sceptile's attacks before striking back with her glowing arms. Sceptile was better at dodging the Brick Breaks, but Absol steadily slowing from the hits that she was taking.

"Get out of there, Absol!" Alena shouted just as the familiar wormholes opened up behind Hera. Alena's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She'd almost forgotten about the Future Sight. Hers took the Future Sight in the back before falling to one knee. "Absol, use Slash and Sceptile, use Solar Beam!"

"Brick Break again, Hera," Alex responded. Once again, Absol faced Hera head on, using the scythe on her head as her weapon while Hera chopped at her with glowing hands. Without Sceptile to fight alongside her, Absol was struggling to keep up with Hera. "Switch to Megahorn, Hera!"

"Help Absol out and use Solar Beam, Sceptile!" Alena shouted.

"Scep-" Sceptile started. Hera quickly jabbed her flowing horn at Absol's front, but bragged her by the paw before she could get too far. "Tile!" Sceptile shouted as he fired the beam of rainbow-colored energy from his mouth. When the attack hit, a loud explosion sounded as a cloud of black smoke covered the field.

Alex frowned. That Solar Beam had been strong enough to put Hera in trouble. A hit like that would definitely ensure that Alena could win this. With worried eyes, Alex tried to see through the clearing smoke.

"No _way_!" Anya shouted in outrage. Isaac's eyes widened. "That _has_ to be cheating!" Anya declared when the smoke had fully cleared. Alena's jaw dropped. Hear was perfectly fine, but Absol was...

Sceptile growled lowly in his throat. Using Absol as a shield! It was unbelievable and underhanded! "Secp! Step-tile!" Sceptile exclaimed and readied himself.

"Heracross," Hera replied and took on a fighter's stance.

"It's one-on-one now. But, we're _definitely_ going to win this. Sceptile, Dragon Claw!" Alena commanded.

"Scep!"

"Megahorn, Hera!" Alex responded.

"Hera!"

The two titans met in the middle of the field before locking their claws and horn. Rather than hold the stalemate, they both backed off before quickly rushing each other again from a different angle. Alena bit her lip at the same time that Alex frowned. "Don't hold back, Hera!" Alex shouted. They didn't have the time to pull punches... Suddenly, Hera landed a critical hit to Sceptile's front and pushed him back onto his back. "Don't let up! Use Take Down!"

"Sceptile! No!" Alena called out as she watched Sceptile go flying over her head and into the bushes behind her. She could still hear him groaning and see his tail twitching slightly. "Can you go on?"

"Come on, Sceptile..." Anya muttered with a fierce expression.

"To-gee! To-gee! To-gee!" Togepri sang as she started waving her hands from right to left.

Glancing down at Togepi, Anya frowned. "Keep still, Togepi. You're wiggling around too much," Anya chastised, but Togepi ignored her in favor of rhythmically waving her arms back and forth. With a shake of her head, Anya refocused on the battle.

Alena nearly breathed a sigh of relief. Sceptile was getting up. He looked a bit shaken, but still determined to fight. It may have been a trick of the light, but Alena could have sworn that she saw Sceptile gain a light blue outline as he passed her. But once he was standing in front of Hera again (and fully upright at that!), he looked completely green. Maybe her eyes were messing with her? "Sceptile, use Solar Beam one more time!"

"We're not going to let them win. Hera, Megahorn and give it everything you've got!"

With her horn glowing, Hera flew towards Sceptile with her wings buzzing behind her. Sceptile steadied himself while keeping his tail extended to absorb the sun's rays. Just as Hera's horn was about to hit, Sceptile used both hands to block the attack and hold her at bay. Hera buzzed loudly as she furiously beat her wings and jabbed her horn at Sceptile. "Scep..." Sceptile started as a ball of light gathered at the back of his throat. Hera's eyes widened. "-Tile!"

Without any sort of defense to protect her, Hera took the attack head on before being blasted away. Alex shielded his face from the dirt that went flying when Hera landed roughly in front of him. "Hera! Are you okay?" he called out.

"Hera...Heracross," Hera replied as she slowly pulled herself to her feet. Sceptile patiently watched Hera pull herself up with a cool expression on his face. Just as Hera was able to stand on her feet, a black and red outline encased her and her eyes widened as her body seized up. Everyone watched as Hera fell forward onto the grass with a thud.

"Sceptile," Sceptile said before turning to walk off the field.

Alex's eyes widened just before he smiled. After recalling Hera, Alex approached the stunned Alena while chuckling. "Don't look so surprised, Sunshine. You won. You beat me fair and square," Alex said.

"I... I actually won?" Alena repeated. "We won! Sceptile! We won!" Alena exclaimed before embracing Sceptile happily.

"I could have sworn that Sceptile had taken more damage from that Take Down, but he walked it off like a pro. Congrats," Alex praised and offered his hand. Alena smiled in return before accepting the handshake.

~:~

"So, what have you been up to since the Grand Festival ended, Alena?" Alex asked. After their battle, Alex stayed to have lunch with the family before leaving. The group of four were sitting around the dining table with several boxes of pizza open on the table.

"Not much. I haven't gotten a chance to head home yet since I came straight to Ever Grande City from the Grand Festival," Alena explained.

"You probably haven't stopped training at all," Alex guessed.

"Actually, I was letting my Pokémon take a little break while I figure out what I want to do next," Alena corrected.

"Would you consider entering Contests in another region?" Alex asked.

"There are Contests in _other_ regions?" Anya asked excitedly.

Alena's face took on a surprised expression. She stared at Alex before saying, "No. I hadn't even considered it," Alena replied.

"You should think about it, Alena! You could travel to another region and win the Grand Festival there, too!" Anya exclaimed.

Kanto Contests? Honestly, Alena had thought that her next move was to head back home. After that, she wasn't sure. She did love to compete in Contests, but she'd also been thinking of trying something new. There was nothing wrong with Gym battles. And who knows what else there was out there in other regions? "Thanks for telling me, Alex. I'll keep it in mind, but I'm keeping my options open," Alena replied. Alex shrugged once in acceptance.

~:~

Later that evening, Anya was putting Togepi down for the night and tucking her in when the telephone in her room chimed. It was a foreign occurrence. She'd insisted a long time ago that she needed her own telephone to talk to her friends. She'd gotten the phone, but hadn't gotten around to getting friends to call with said phone. Nervous about who had her number and still excited to be getting her first call, Anya rushed over to the telephone and took a seat in front of it. She clicked the button to accept the call.

Her excitement was immediately crushed. "Oh. It's just you," Anya greeted.

" _Hi, Anya,"_ Max greeted with a smug grin.

"How did you get my number?" Anya asked with a suspicious gaze and folded her arms over her chest.

" _Alena gave it to me. She said that it's good for "friends" to call each other,"_ Max said and stuck out his tongue in disgust.

Anya glared. "Why are you calling me then?" she challenged.

" _I just wanted to let you know that I'm in the Kanto region right now,"_ Max bragged and adjusted his glasses with a smirk.

"Kanto? What are you doing _there?"_ Anya questioned with a puzzled expression.

" _Nothing much. May is competing in Contests here in Kanto now. I'm traveling with her, Ash, and Brock. I even got to meet the leader of the Cerulean City Gym and hang out at Professor Oak's laboratory,"_ Max bragged.

" _So?_ May is just lucky that Alena's not entering any Kanto Contests. May has a better chance of winning now," Anya dismissed. "Besides, I've met _tons_ of Gym Leaders _and_ this year's Hoenn League winner."

" _Well... I'm going to get to meet all the Kanto Frontier Brains because Ash is challenging all of them!_ " Max shouted with a smirk.

"Oh _yeah!?_ I could meet the Hoenn Elite Four members _and_ the Champion. I just have to make _one_ call. That's what happens when you have connections," Anya bragged with her nose in the air. "Not to mention that my dad works as a _top_ inventor for Devon Corp. I'm pretty sure I could be swimming in Steven's swimming pool by tomorrow. Face it, Max. You _wish_ you were me."

" _Do_ not! _You wish you were_ me! _Who'd want to be stuck at home instead of traveling to a bunch of different places in a new region,"_ Max scoffed. " _If you're nice to me, I'll send you a postcard."_

Anya's cheeks flushed as she angrily stared at Max's smug expression. Suddenly, she took a deep breath and stuck her nose into the air. "I don't mind staying at home for a while. Alena promised that we'll have practice battles while we're " _stuck at home"._ Besides, I want Togepi to get used to my house."

" _You get to have battles!?"_ Max exclaimed in shock.

"Yep! I'll be a pro in no time. Especially with a _Top_ Coordinator for a sister," Anya said. Faking a loud yawn, she stretched her arms above her head. "Anyways, I'm going to bed. I've got a long day of battling ahead of me. Good night, Max."

" _Good night,"_ Max grumbled with a pout and roll of his eyes.

With a satisfied smirk, Anya ended the call before going over to her bed. She climbed between her sheets and turned off her lamp. How could Alena call her and Max "friends"??? Max was probably the most annoying boy in the entire world! As _if_ she could ever be friends with _him._ Yawning again and pulling Togepi close to her, Anya snuggled into her pillow. Before slipping off into unconsciousness, she thought about whether Max would _really_ send her a postcard if she asked him to.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moi-Moi: Thanks again to everyone who stuck it out with me. It means a lot to me. I actually had a lot of fun writing this story. I should say that as of right now, I am NOT planning to write a sequel for this. I've thought about it and while I wouldn't totally mind writing one, I won't get your hopes up. If I did, it would most likely focus on Anya. Nonetheless, thanks for reading! :D
> 
> Anyways, here is the FINAL roster for Alena's Pokémon. I even included the levels of her Pokémon for you this time.
> 
> On Hand
> 
> Sceptile {♂, Level 45, Ability: Overgrow} – Dragon Claw, Leaf Blade, Solar Beam, Bullet Seed
> 
> Absol {♀, Level 43, Ability: Super Luck}- Slash, Dark Pulse, Perish Song, Future Sight
> 
> Manectric {♂, Level 39, Ability: Lightning Rod} – Hyper Beam, Thunder, Bite, Thunderbolt
> 
> Aggron {♂, Level 43, Ability: Sturdy} – Iron Tail, Iron Defense, Metal Claw, Earthquake
> 
> Altaria {♀, Level 35, Ability: Natural Cure}- Sing, Peck, Swift, DragonBreath
> 
> Milotic {♀, Level 33, Ability: Marvel Scale}- Water Gun, Twister, Recover, Water Pulse
> 
> With Anya
> 
> Togepi: {♀, Level 5, Ability: Serene Grace}- Growl, Charm, Metronome


End file.
